


Stardust Trails

by Anns_Revenge



Series: Among the Stars [1]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Eventual Fluff, Multi, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:39:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8742997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anns_Revenge/pseuds/Anns_Revenge
Summary: AU. Leaving home was all Syo ever wanted, but after being abducted from Prinda by a group of space pirates his life becomes far more hectic than he ever thought it could be. With his new family, and friends, he journeys across galaxies to find something. The real question is what that something is. Pairing undecided.





	1. Chapter 1

_Part I_

_Trace the Galaxy_

_Year 5965_

Far into the Asteria Nebula on a small planet named Prinda, lived a young boy who dreamed of exploring the universe. To most, this would sound like the beginning to a childish fairy tale. But this was no fairy tale, this was the beginning to his story.

Syo knew, that because Prinda such an advanced planet (and having a much needed line of communication with their neighboring planet, Lenus) that what would once be called a childish dream could very well be his future. He would watch the the darken dreaming about how each day that passed meant one day closer to being out there, exploring the galaxy, and doing what he knew he was meant to.

"Syo, Kaoru!" His mother called to him and his little brother, most likely for dinner as the second sun began to set. His eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, before he was met the a familiar face.

Like Most Prindans, Syo blessed with blonde hair, which shimmered like the skoon fish of the Asteria Vortex, that hung low passed his waist, even though it had been tied up. Although he kept his long so his mother wouldn't complain, his brother, kept his short and neat. Another feature they shared with their fellow Prindans were their dazzling blue eyes, that shown brighter than the five seas of Trilles O, and a strong Psychokinetic ability. However it was indeed a rarity for twins to be born on this planet. So that was one blessing only he and Kaoru shared.

"Syo." Kaoru's face hovered above him as his younger brother before his pale hands shook Syo's shoulders. "Brother why do you sleep now? The second sun has barely descended."

"Sorry." He grinned sleepily. He reached for his brother's hand, and the white robe slipped from his shoulder, leaving only his toga to protect him from the lasting beating rays of the sun. Syo's uncovered knees left the naturally bronzed grass. He sighed, looking the rusty colored hills of his mother's land.

"Shall we go?" Kaoru smiled.

"Yes."

Their bare feet tingled against the hard grass beneath. Kaoru's iron grip held Syo's hand close and dragged his brother, who was starting to fall behind.

"Syo?"

"Yes?"

Kaoru hesitated for a moment. His blue eyes looked straight ahead to their round shaped home. "Why do you want to leave so much? Is it not fun to live here with mother and I? Why would you wish to be like father and not come home for some time?"

"It's boring here." He skipped into step next to the younger one, now trying to match his pace.

"Boring, how?"

"Well, I've heard that there are places that have actual oceans. Not just the ones we've seen from Lenus picture books that father brings home."

"Is seeing one that special? Really is it?"

"It's Important to me."

Kaoru dropped Syo's hand and stopped in his tracks a mere two steps from the door. "You are so just like father. Please just make sure you always come back to mother and I, lest you make her worry more."

Syo knew he was being serious, but couldn't help but to laugh. "Of course."

"Boys!" Their mother yelled throwing the door open, almost hitting both of her boys in the face.

* * *

The view of the stars from the rounded roof in the middle of the field was one of the only things that made Prinda, especially Iglyand his rather spread out hometown, bearable to live on. It was the only treasure that Syo truly had only to himself. Kaoru didn't like things like the night sky. He didn't find the shine of the twinkling stars and planet above endearing.

"Why is it so wrong to wish to know more?" He sighed. He pulled his knees close to his body, blue blue hues looking up at the radiant lights that showered him with love.

The Iglyand sparrows chirped, yet a loud hum filled his ears. The stars seemed brighter and brighter until the dazzling white overtook him and he realized what was truly happening.

At first his face was that of joy. He thought his father had finally come home from his latest meeting in Lenus, albeit odd that his ship hadn't docked at port a few miles from their home.

But as the ship grew closer and the metallic doors parted, he knew that this wasn't the fancy his father, who was Prinda's ambassador, rode in. Only in a hushed voice could he speak what it was.

"Pirates."

At first he wanted to flee. To warn his mother, but he knew in the back of his mind that it wasn't a good idea. If he were to run they would surely find out that there were more people in the house. As it was, all the lights were turned off and his mother and brother were sleeping safely in their beds. But if he were to stay they probably would be in a hurry to leave. It was probably his fault that they even showed up, if he hadn't been outside during the time he should have been sleeping, they wouldn't have stopped. He knew from the books that his father brought home for him what they did and what they were after.

So to protect his family he closed his eyes and waited for it to be over, and hoped his last few minutes would be as painless as possible.

* * *

"Wo ist sie?" Were the first words Syo heard upon waking up. The last thing he remembered was the bright light. A frown found it's way onto his lips. Not only did he not recognize the language, meaning it was neither from Prinda nor Lenus, but the strong commanding voice sounded almost feminine.

He would have moved to the barred door to see who was saying... well whatever they were saying, but chains bound his hands and feet to the back wall. Even his mouth was covered. He wanted to laugh,they were probably newbies. They didn't realize that Prindans were a psychic race.

"Was!?" He heard feminine voice yell at the top of, probably, her lungs. There was a sharp click against the wooden floor and the door opened almost instantaneously, with a very pissed, kinda short, looking redhead glaring at him.

Her head turned sharply back to the male crew behind her. She yelled at them, more furious sounding words that he couldn't understand. She didn't look back at him, until he flinched away from her harsh tone causing the shackles to jingle.

Her golden eyes rolled in annoyance. "You can understand me, no?"

"I understand." He's voice barely above a whisper.

"Be a good boy. I will take shackles off."

Syo nodded at her. He watched her as she leaned down with the key in hand to unchain him. He wondered where she could be from. Perhaps she was with the anti-peace rebellion from Lenus.

"I am Haruka Nanami. You call me Captain." She held out a hand to him. Her eyes were kind, and gentle. "Up."

He again nodded, unsure what else to do. Her speech was very broken and he wasn't sure that she would understand him if he spoke to much to fast. He took her hand, slipping only a little on his hair that had wrapped slightly around the chains. But that seemed to make the Captain laugh a bit.

Her face grew more serious the further away from his prison cell they got. "You can not go home." She eventually said, but by that time, there were walking on a glass terrace, looking down on the planet that Syo called home.

"Haru!" A very happy voice called out, in a language hat he could understand fully, though the dialect seemed a bit strange. Another redhead came flying at them and hugged the Captain with the force of a hundred minds. "I heard the crew mistakenly picked up a child."

"Yes." Haruka's eyes looked at Syo and waited for her friend's to follow.

The other girl gasped. Now that Syo had a good look at her he notice that she was taller, paler, and had deep red eyes. She smiled. "Hi there. What's your name?"

"Syo." He blushed, noticing her rather revealing attire. Her light pink gown was almost see-through. Her long legs were uncovered and her feet were bare. It looked like she had just woken up. Even her somewhat curly hair was tousled.

"I'm Tomochika." She extended her hand. "If you ever need me to translate, Haru is still learning Lenien, since we don't visit Lenus a lot."

"Thank you."

She turned her head back to Haruka after he gave her cold hand a light shake. "So what are we doing with him?"

"Keeping him." The Captain answered right away.

"Keeping me? To do what with?"

Haruka glared at him and when he flinched she spoke to Tomochika in that same language as before. To him, it almost sounded like the two girls were arguing. Tomo was the one who had the final say. She smirked when Haruka clicked her heels together and walked away.

"Come on." She grabbed him by the elbow. "I had a present for you. It might not make up for the fact that you can't go home anymore, but I promise you'll love it."

Dragging him down a hallway, she threw open one of the doors, that had bars on the window, and skipped in.

Inside looked comfortable. Like a small cabin room. There was a wooden take with two chairs to match, and soft looking bed with something white huddled up on the deep blue pillow. The walls and carpet were the same color as the grass from Prinda.

"Otoya." She picked up the small bundle of white fluff. The cat's ears twitched and it yawned. She sat on the bed, and put the tiny creature down on her lap. "Syo this is Otoya. Haruka took him from Trilles O. Look how cute he is." She smooshed her face against his and gave him little cheek kisses.

"We have nothing like him from where I come from." He stated honestly.

"Well, You'll have to get used to having him. From today on he'll be yours. You guys will be room mates."

"Trilles O." He mumbled, eyes shining.

"What?"

"You guys aren't going to kill me? I thought that's what pirates did."

"Not all pirates are the same. We didn't mean to get you."

"But you won't kill me?"

"Of course not!" Tomo said shocked.

"So will I be able to see Trilles O one day?" He asked hopeful.

"Probably. Maybe not this week, maybe not this year. But we do go there from time to time."

Syo looked around the room again. There was a small window that let him see out to the galaxy beyond the ship. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.

"Maybe in a year or two Haruka will let you go to ports. How old are you? Maybe I can pass you off as a nephew of hers."

"Seven."

"Woah." She smiled. "I bet you're way smarter than me when I was that age."

She patted the bed next to her, motioning for him to sit down. She passed the cat on to him. It purred and cuddled up on him. He let his hand slide over it's sleek fur, head still turned to look out the window.

"Will I ever be able to go home?" He asked.

Tomo bit her lip. "No, I don't think so." She wrapped her arm around his shoulder in a comforting half-hug. "It may seem bad now, but it'll get better, I promise. And once you get to know Haruka better, we can be your new family."

"Yeah." he said, trying not to let his voice falter, but ultimately failing as drops of salted water fell from his eyes. He had always wanted to leave his home planet, but he didn't think the day would come so soon, or that he would never be able to turn back, or that it would hurt so much.


	2. Chapter 2

_Part I_

_Trace the Galaxy_

_Year 5973_

Syo practically flew down the hall with with the mop trailing behind him, he stumbled into things along his path. This was the happiest day ever. After months of begging Haruka finally decided to let him come to port with her. Since bartering and trading was a very hostile business, Haruka didn't want him to seem like her weakest link. But today was different. Tomochika had successfully talked the smaller female into taking him with her as long as all his chores were done.

"This is so cool." He cheered. He turned to the end-table, ready to wipe it clean and let the mop move on it's own, but a little ball of white plopped it's butt down before he could even focus his mind on the dirty mop. He couldn't help but to smile at his cat. "I've always wanted to see Otheron! Isn't it exciting Otoya?"

The white cat only meowed at him happily as a response, it's puffy tail swishing back and forth.

"Don't just sit there. Go get your leash."

Syo had learned after only a few days on Haruka's ship that his fluffy companion completely understood his every word. That made the years that passed by less lonely, seeing as he was the youngest on the ship. And, although he didn't have animals such as this back on his own planet, he had highly doubted that normal cats could play games with him like this one did. It was weird and fun. But he never did anything too intelligent in front of the older members of the crew.

The cat rolled it's red eyes at him before jumping down and trotting off to their shared room.

Once he was gone, Syo quickly finished dusting the table and the last little bit of the floors. He forced himself up, as to not have to walk over the wet floor, and made his way to the bridge.

"Captain!" He said gleefully, not caring if he interrupted her conversation. She turned away from the wheel's man to look at him. Her blue striped business suit was clean and pristine. "I did everything you asked."

"Syo." Her tone was even and commanding, as always, and golden eyes narrowed. "Don't make such a ruckus."

"Sorry." He deflated a little. He didn't really care if he was loud when he was in a good mood, but if Haruka scolded him, his mood would drop instantly. Over the eight years he had been with her, she became like a mother in his mind. She was stern and strict, but also loving. Every time she had forced him to stay in the ship when they docked, which he rarely stayed put, she would always bring him back a present. In many ways, not that he would ever admit it out loud, she reminded him of his father.

"It's fine. But keep yourself in check during my meeting." She straighten her jacket. "Tomo isn't coming today, so you won't have a babysitter."

"I'm fifteen." He chuckled. "I don't need a babysitter anymore."

"Says you." It was obviously a joke, but her straight face made it hard to laugh at.

"Ma'am." One of the men called to her. She turned to greet him. His uniform, that consisted of a greasy pair of overalls and a dirty gray shirt, and his hands were filthy from the oil and coal in the engine room, even though he had a dark brown glove sticking out of his back pocket. He watched her with beady eyes and tossed a toothy smile Syo's way once he realized that the blonde was looking at him. "We'll be landing soon."

"Thank you." She dismissed him. She smirked at Syo once she knew he was out of hearing range. "Why must they always tell me every little detail. I don't need to know that we'll be landing soon, especially when he told me that same thing five minutes ago."

"He probably just likes you." Syo laughed. His blonde hair brushed against his shoulders.

Haruka reached out and touched it. "Are you finally going to grow it out again? Or do you want me to cut it soon?"

"Tonight. I hate having long hair."

She chuckled letting her hand fall from his straight sleek locks. "Whatever you say."

* * *

Syo wanted to wander the antiques shop, browsing small trinkets from far off galaxies that his surrogate mother didn't deal with, but the moment he began to to let his blue eyes wander over the carefully stored merchandise Haruka sharply said his name. Knowing that she would be beyond furious if he messed up this deal for her, Syo decided to just evaluate the items he like from near the door's entrance.

He rolled his eyes, bored. Who would have thought that coming with her would be this boring. Sure there were things to look at, stuff to buy, and places to go but none of which he was actually allowed to do. Haruka had told him not to leave her side, but she was busy talking gibberish, that Syo couldn't understand, with the old man behind the counter.

He old man had a long gray beard gave him a crooked smile and pointed to Syo, making Haruka turn back to look at him. She motioned him him over to her. Again she spoke in the foreign tongue and wrapped her left arm protectively around him.

"What's he asking?" His blue eyes couldn't leave the wrinkled face.

"He wants to know how much you are." She gave him a tight squeeze. "This is why I don't invite you to come with me more often."

"Why?"

"There are some, who collect people." The old man said something to her and her grip tensed before she dropped her arm from Syo's shoulder. "Go have fun on the docks."

"Really?" He finally pulled his gaze away from the creepy salesman's face. Excitement displayed in his big sky blue eyes.

"Since Tomo isn't here to take care of you make sure to take Otoya with you."

"Okay!" He ran off to the entrance.

Otoya had been waiting patiently outside, chained to the guardrail that kept this ship stationed at the port (not that he couldn't easily get out of it). Upon Syo return he meowed happily, which of course made Syo laugh. He carefully unchained his white feline and took up his leash in his hand.

"This place is huge!" Syo looked around excited. There were so many people and animals. His smile did drop a little. "I wish Tomochika weren't sick today. She always knows everything. She could tell me what animal is what. She can translate."

Syo let loose a sigh and Otoya looked up at him. "Mew?" The cat tried to communicate with him.

"I know, Otoya."

If Haruka was like a mother to him these last eight years, then Tomochika was definitely the older sister he had always wished for. She was kind, a bit of a know it all, and almost always there when he needed her. But there were some days when she just didn't leave her cabin. Haruka always gave a convincing excuse, not just for Syo but for the crew as well.

While most of the crew had been with them for years, it seemed like Haruka didn't trust them. And Syo had always wondered why. They kept the ship going, lived with one another, and stole from ships that couldn't defend themselves from a swift and unexpected raid. If they hadn't turned her in for her crimes, then why did she keep things from them?

_"The first step to getting screwed over is trusting others."_ She had once told him that. Yet... She trusted Tomochika with her life. If Syo didn't know better, he would think that they were sisters.

"I just don't understand." He told Otoya while looking at the crowd of people. There were so many faces. Eyes barely glanced at him while he walked by, only a few lingered with an unpleasant feel.

A flash of cyan blue passed in front of him. Stark white skin and piercing eyes that seemed to look into the very depths of his soul stood out against the herd of others, whose attention was on whatever the merchant was trying to sell to them. And then it was gone. The sharp face with vibrate color had disappeared back into the crowd. Almost like it had never been there to began with.

"Come on Otoya. Let's go back to the ship." He felt extremely uncomfortable. "I want to see if Tomo is feeling better yet."


	3. Chapter 3

_Part I_

_Trace the Galaxy_

_Year 5966_

_"There are monsters beyond imagination that roam throughout the galaxies. Truly terrifying, they look for easy prey. The weak, the old, the sickly, and the young. Little boys like you should take care not to be alone, even if it is just in your room. They find their way into the place you find most comforting, and snatch you up."_

_"Tomo!" Syo shrieked, he held Otoya close and pulled the covers up around them both. No monster would get him or his best friend. "Stop it! You're scaring Otoya."_

_The cat looked up with a displeased look on his face and gave a soft meow. He snuggled in closer to Syo since Tomo was sitting on the edge of the bed with the wiry brush he hated so much._

_"He looks terrified." She laughed at him._

_"Why do you have to tell such scary bedtime stories? My mom-" He stopped thinking of how his mother had held him and his twin close and whispered to them stories of fair maidens and princes that rescued them._

_"Your mother told you fairy tales. I will only tell you about things at are real."_

_Syo sniffled. "Have you ever seen one of these monsters? You say that there are so many across all the worlds that it would be impossible to count them all."_

_"There are many monsters. And depending on what you consider monsters to be every time you open your eyes you could see one."_

_"People are the worst kind of monsters, that's what Haruka says."_

_"She's right you know."_

_"But the really scary ones that could kill people within seconds, have you ever see one of those?"_

_Tomochika stopped brushing her long red hair. "Yes."_

_"Really!? What did it look like?" Fear could never stop the little blonde from being excited. Although he was only eight years of age, he seemed so resilient._

_"Well that's the scariest thing. They look like normal people."_

_"How did you know if it was a monster?"_

_"When I met him. he wasn't a monster in my eyes. He looked like an injured boy who needed a place to catch his breath. So I let him in, and he was perfectly polite, never did anything that would make him seem anything less than ordinary. So I didn't find out until long after he left my home. And even know I find it hard to believe that such a sweet little boy could be something so awful that people would call him a monster."_

_"Tomo, how do I know I'm not a monster?" His little lip quivered, uncertainty lingered in his voice._

_"There are some who might call you that. Not everyone can move things just by thinking of it." His cheeks pales and eyes darted down to not meet hers._

_She turned around letting her nightdress rise up a little. Her hand firmly cupped his cheeks as she forced him to look at her. "No body needs to know the things you can do. And you could never be a monster in my eyes."_

_"But..."_

_"Are you afraid? Is it because of what other people think?"_

_"No..."_

_"Then don't let it bother you. You are my little Syo, and nothing else."_

_The little blonde smiled at that. "Tell me another bedtime story. Make sure this one isn't scary though."_

_"Why? You scared?" She teased tousling his long blonde hair._

_He batted her hand away gently. "Of course not. I'm going to grow up to be like Haruka. She's fearless and brave and strong."_

_Tomochika chuckled. "She may be brave and strong, but Haru isn't fearless."_

_"She isn't?"_

_"Even she fears the worst monsters of space."_

_"Not this story again!" He giggled._

* * *

_Year 5973_

"No." Syo crossed his arms and promptly sat down on his bed. He refused to even look in Haruka's direction. She was being unfair and he wouldn't just do what she wanted like a good little boy. "I'm not going."

"You are going and that's final!" She yelled at him. "And if you won't come willingly then I will have you shackled and dragged there."

"That's not fair." He yelled at her.

"Life isn't fair!" She fired back, just like a mother.

"You're using me for your own benefit."

"You are mine. I can put you to use however I see fit." She threw the white tunic at him. "If you aren't dressed in five minutes then you wear nothing."

"You're the worst!" He yelled at her, but his cries were only met with the slamming of his door. He threw the cloth on the floor and punched his pillow in rage, waking up his sleeping kitty in the process. "Otoya, Haruka is such a awful captain. She knows that the person she is dealing with today likes little blondes so she wants to use me. To whore me out to get her way! I hate it. And her!"

The cat looked at him as if he were stupid.

"I know that she's like a mom to me, but this is so wrong." When the cat just blinked at him, he sighed. "You make it seem like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy!"

"Talking to yourself isn't crazy? That's new to me." Tomo giggled from behind him.

His face grew redder than the sun as he looked back at her. "Oh, you're feeling better today?"

"Much better, thank you."

"Yeah." He looked away.

Her red eyes lingered on the garments in front of him. "You should get dressed, I'd hate for you to have to walk these scum filled streets in nothing."

All the color from his face washed away with those words.

"Hurry." She smiled, head tilted, before she turned away.

"Damn it!" The blonde yelled after she left, knowing that the only reason she had come was to try to talk him into seeing Haruka's side.

True to her word, exactly five minutes later Syo's door flew open and a very pissed redhead stormed in. Her deep furrowed brow softened a little once she realized that he was dressed in the revealing white tunic.

"Come on."She ordered him in the same commanding voice she used with the rest of the crew.

The man was a filthy pig. Syo almost threw up the first time he had set his blue eyes on the greasy man. Sweat ran down in brow even though it was colder than an icebox in side his large house. This shirt looked as if it hadn't been washed in years. His hands, big and hairy, reached out for Syo until Haruka slapped them away.

She snapped at him, her voice full of spite. "This lovely child is mine. He is not for you to touch."

He snorted at her. "I have plenty others." That same sweaty hand reached for another child, wearing a similar tunic but bound by the feet with golden chains. "You really should chain that thing up."

Haruka's nose scrunched at him. "Maybe you should be chained up"

This made the man laugh heartily. How could he even take it as a joke with the disdain clear in her voice? "Now down to business."

"I agree."

* * *

Once the meeting had started Haruka quietly told Syo that he could roam the town as much as he wanted. He handed him her long red coat so he wouldn't have to wear something so embarrassing outside.

"Stupid Haruka." Syo kicked a pebble just outside the rich man's house. How did such a scumbag have so much money and a giant house? It really wasn't fair to the people of this planet that actually worked hard. And why did Haruka have to trade with such people? It wasn't as if she were the most honorable person alive, but even steal from other people's ships still made her better than that man.

"Lost?" A stranger asked him. They looked upon him with beady black eyes.

"No, I'm fine." He looked up at the person who stood at least a head taller than him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Syo frowned.

He almost felt trapped, but he knew he wasn't. He could always run behind the gates or just get passed this person it wouldn't be very hard.

"Ah, Syo there you are." The voice came. The blonde had no idea who it belonged to. His blue eyes darted around until he found the sight of a cyan haired male waving in their direction. Then with a smile he continued the charade. "Long time no see."

"Uh?"

"Do you know this little slave?" The man asked motioning to the tunic that Syo was covering with the red coat Haruka gave him, which was a tad small for him.

"Of course." The blue haired male said, his smile dropping. "What kind of idiot would walk up to some one and call out a random name and hope it's right."

"Tsk." The other man glare before walking away.

"So are you an idiot then?" Syo bluntly asked the young looking man. His eyes filled with suspicion.

"Of course not. I said an idiot calls out a random name. I know your name." He said dully, his emotions, if he had any, were buried beneath his mono-toned voice.

"Funny, I don't know your name yet you know me."

"Ai." He said extending his hand. When the blonde just blinked at him he took his hand back and shoved it in the pocket of his dirt brown pants.

"You think that makes things better?"

"No."

Syo squinted at his straightforward answer. "Then why did you tell me?"

"Because you are going to take me to your ship and introduce me to your master."

* * *

Haruka briskly walked back to her ship. Her deal had gone fine, but that filthy man had soured her mood. All she wanted was to go to her cabin and take a bath after just being in his presence. And the damned bastard dared to shake her hand. If she ever had to deal with him again it would be too soon.

But luckily for her, he was a fool. She would only have to send a small ship to his house that night, maned with probably twenty or so men, to steal away his riches. She highly doubted that with the amount of alcohol he had consumed in the brief time that her visit had taken place that he could even be awake when her men pillaged his house. And even if he was, they'd slice him from chest to pelvis. The slaves at his house would be given a choice, work as members on her ship or die by her own blade.

"This has been a huge waste of time." One of her men, that escorted her there with Syo, whispered gruffly. "Why trade when you just plan to take it all back?"

Haruka looked back at him. He wore metal plate above his old tattered gray shirt. A small dagger strapped to his leg almost hidden by the plain brown pants he wore. A simpleton like him would understand her reasoning even if she explained it to him a million times.

"It doesn't matter does it?"

"No, Caption." He answered sullenly.

They rounded the corner before she could open her mouth to answer him. Upon on the entry ramp was Syo. She sighed, glad that he had made it back aright by himself. But there was another person. He looked barely older than her young blonde.

The heels of her shoes must have hit the hard metal of the ship's ramp louder than she thought because as soon as she stepped on her ship his head spun to look at her.

His cyan eyes matched his hair. A frown was etched into his smooth featured. "You must be Haruka. It's a pleasure. Can we leave now?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Part I_

_Trace the Galaxy_

_Year 5973_

Haruka had been captioning her ship for over ten years and never had she been forced to go off track because of another person. She had stolen, she had killed, gambled, and more. So for her to be stopped in her tracks and willingly obey someone else, it was unusual to say the least. But as much as she wanted to throw the little bit of red hair that hung over her shoulder back, she gritted her teeth and followed the cyan haired male's directions.

She knew her crew looked to her for answers. It wasn't like her to give in easily, and honestly if there were different circumstances she would have thrown the kid off her ship in an instant. But no. This one was smart, must have looked into her at least a little, because he stood behind her little blonde, with a knife pressed against the nape of his neck. Only a few moments ago Syo hadn't been scared, but Haruka had to try to intimidate the little brat and threatened to throw him off the ship the moment they pulled away from port.

"Okay, okay." She said trying not to let her tough exterior soften. "Let him go and we'll talk about where you want to go."

"You'll take me to Earth, Haruka. No stops along the way."

"Okay, to Earth. Now give me Syo."

"No." He shook his head."

Something in Haruka snapped. It wasn't very often that people didn't listen to her. She was the caption. On her ship, her word was law. And nobody was above that law. Her crew knew that. That's probably why when he refused the nearest five men pulled out their guns. If not for her ordering them to stop, they would have blasted Syo away with this demanding kid.

"You know," Haruka started with a somewhat sadistic grin. "I feed bad little boys to the worst kind of monster."

"I'm not afraid of your monster." Ai challenged.

"You say that now-"

"Syo!" Tomo's voice came from the second floor. Her cheerfulness emanated the whole room in a kind of calm. "Did you make a new friend? You can't just take people from ports without their families."

Haruka almost laughed. How ironic.

"No... I.." He tried to say. The pressure against his back dissipated as did the concerned look Haruka wore.

"The caption told me she could take me to earth." He said smoothly to the long haired woman.

"Earth? Oh, we haven't been there in forever Haru! Let's go!" Tomochika cheered throwing a fist in the air to motivate everyone else in the room.

While her best friend was off distracting everyone Haruka took a moment to actually look at the cyan haired boy. He couldn't have been much older than Syo though he stood a few feet taller. His clothing was ragged but not dirty and the bag he had protectively slung under his arm looked new. His face looked tired but relieved that the commotion in front of him.

"Little boy." She called out to him.

He sharply responded with, "Ai. My name is Ai."

She rolled her golden eyes, not caring about the name of the person who just took what was hers hostage. "Where are you from, Ai?"

"Skyria Plyke." He said almost immediately.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And where is that exactly?"

"The Asteria Nebula." He answered again still to fast for Haruka's liking.

"You don't look like the people I've seen at the Skyria skystation." Her arms crossed. With every ones attention diverted by Tomo's big fuss, haruka motioned him over.

"What can I say, my father was an adventurous man. Skyria is just where I was born." He walked closer. Haruka knew that he could tell something was off.

"Come one." The redhead said sweetly. "I'll show you the deck. The view is amazing."

"Sure." He eyed her suspiciously.

* * *

"Why Earth?" She asked. To Haruka, it wasn't a very hard question, but the boy in front of her looked at her with a rather perplexed look. Well at least he could show emotion, he had such an emotionless face that she had begun to wonder if he knew what smiling and frowning were.

"That was the very first planet I visited."

"With you're father?"

"Mhm." He didn't miss a beat.

"And your mother?"

"Don't have one." He leaned on the railing overlooking the glass floor.

This was one of Haruka's favorite places. Although she couldn't breath in space, like some species could, she always liked the feeling of being surrounded by the nothingness. Sure there were stars that show as they passed, but much like her, in this giant universe they were but a mere spec of dust.

"Okay." She looked up and the ceiling, which was also made out of glass, her eyes watched the darkness. "Now the truth."

"But that is-"

"A very convincing lie. You've probably practiced it a million times. People like Syo and Tomo would easily be fooled. But I am not them. I know when you're lying to me. And I want to know why I just gave up on a big payout for my crew just to take you to earth."

Her voice was cold and merciless. There was not hint of angry though.

"I'm taking a friend back to where he belongs. he deserves to be with his friends."

Haruka closed her eyes. "You don't hear of too many earthlings in our part of the universe. I thought they still thought that they were the only intelligent beings in the universe."

"Until he found me I didn't know what earth was." The pale teen said. "So to repay all of his kindness I want to get him back home."

"As a final goodbye?" Haruka knew that tone. It was once that her best friend had once used, before everything...

"Yeah. I always called him father, so the person I plan to give him to would be uncle."

"Fine." She breathed out. Looking back down, she took a step so she could be in front of him, blocking his path to the exit. "I'll take you, but."

"But?" He met her eyes questioningly.

Even on her tiptoes, the very top of her head only reached to his chin, so she poked his chest and smiled. "But your 'father' is gone and I'm not leaving you on earth. As payment, you will stay on my ship and become mine."

"Y-yours?"

"Syo has always wanted a friend his own age. And you look pretty rare. Definitely not from Skyria Plyke."

"But I..."

"No buts." She said sternly letting the heels of her feet hit the floor with a 'clank'. "That is payment to go to earth.

"I heard you like information. I was going to offer you some. I didn't expect you to take me for free."

Haruka turned waving her hand in dismissive gesture. "Information is great but loyal people who will follow me to the ends of the universe is way better."

"Wait." He said as she made her way for the doorway leading back to the rest of the crew. "Kasmeon had great advances in curing many things."

She stopped. "What?"

"It's a small planet of the board of the Zoter galaxy and the Obsidian Abyss. They have cures for almost everything you can think of. Some say they can even make monsters go back to their original form."

She blinked but didn't turn back. Haruka didn't realize that she had been holding her breath the whole time he was talking, but she forced a smile on her face and stretched her arms over her head. "Aaahh~ Earth is pretty far away. We'll probably make a pit stop at Prinda before heading out, seeing as Lenus has closed their trade route for now."

"Haruka?"

"Caption." She corrected. "What?"

"Does this mean-"

"You wanted a ride to earth and payed for it." She turned back and winked. "But I'll get you on the rebound. Unless you want to stay stuck on earth for the rest of your life."

He looked like he wanted to say something.

But she quickly continued. "No, of course you don't. Your father made you travel everywhere with him. You can't just stop now. You want to know everything there is to know. You're better off with me. I'll take you everywhere you want and beyond."

"Caption?" Ai asked.

"Just you wait."


	5. Chapter 5

_Part I_

_Trace the Galaxy_

_Year 5973_

Syo peeked out from around the corner. He could clearly see Ai talking to another member of the crew. The teen carried himself a certain way that made him seem more grown up that he really was. And Syo couldn't help but think how cool this guy was. He wasn't sure if it was because Haruka took a liking to him after that little incident or if it was because they looked to be close in age. Haruka had also told the crew that he had been all over. This galaxy and that one, he had seen them. He was like a living, walking, (not so much) talking portion of Syo's childhood dream.

_'He's just so cool!'_ Syo thought, eyes sparkling. He clutched the mop's handle more firmly. He knew that he was supposed to be doing is normal chores, if he didn't he wouldn't be able to see the next station they stopped at, but he couldn't help but stalk Ai. He was like his number one fan.

"What are you doing there?" Ai walked around the corner. His emotionless cyan eyes didn't shine like Syo's did. He had his arms folded over his chest, forcing the white jacket he was wearing closed.

"O-oh, nothing." Syo looked away.

"Whatever," Ai said continuing on his way. "But make a mental note that I can hear you walking on this floor. It's hard not to."

"Wait!" The blonde called. "Do you maybe want to talk when I get done with my chores?"

"I don't see why not."

"Cool!" He jumped in the air causing the other to give him a perpendicular look. "I mean, that's cool, whatever. You know."

Syo knew he had embarrassed himself. He wanted to talk to Ai, but at the moment he wanted the other to go away, at least until the dark red blush on his face disappeared. He wished he could tell what the other boy was thinking as he walked away, but even if his powers did extend that far, Tomo had told him not to use them with strangers around (or even around most of the crew).

"Well." He muttered to himself since there was nobody but him and his white little ball of fluff in the hallway. "That could have gone worse."

"What could have?"

Syo jumped out of his skin. The mop water tipped over as he scurried away from the sudden voice in his ear. He was lucky that he could manage to stop it before it actually spilled the grimy water, forcing him to have to mop this section all over again.

"Tomo!" He yelled. picking up the mop and made sure that nobody else was around. "I told you not to sneak up on me when I'm doing chores."

"I couldn't help it." She smiled. Her smile was almost as dazzlingly bright as the too small for her dress that she had probably borrowed from Haruka. "You just looked so cute standing there talking to yourself. You really shouldn't do that too much, people will think you're crazy."

"Thanks, mom." He joked.

"So what could have been worse?"

"Totally embarrassing myself in front of Ai."

"Cheer up." She stepped closer, giving him a small pat on his shoulder. "Earth is pretty far away. You'll have plenty of time to talk to him."

"What if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm weird? I mean I don't talk to many people my age."

"You'll be fine." She tried to reassure him.

"It's not!" The blonde yelled. "He's lived my dream! I want to know so much, and he has all the answers. I just want to pick at his brain for a bit."

"Okay, don't tell him that last part." Tomo picked up Otoya. He meowed at her angrily. "If anything, just start out simple."

"Like?"

"Ask him if he's ever been to the next place we have to stop at."

"Where are we stopping?" He looked up questioningly holding out his arms for the poor kitty to go to him. Which Otoya did happily. "Haruka said we were making a pit-stop but disappeared before I could ask her where."

Tomo's smile dropped a fraction of an inch. She handed Otoya him to before answering him. "Prinda."

"Where?" He said innocently. "We haven't been there yet, right?"

"No, I guess we haven't." She glared at him. "Well, I need to find Haru. Have fun talk to Ai, and try not to pick his brain apart too much."

"Thanks." He waved at her while she left.

Otoya meowed at him, cat eyes glaring up at him.

"Shh, Otoya. She just looked so down."

* * *

Ai didn't hate talking, although it wasn't his favorite thing either. But this... This was a little much for even him. The small blonde in front of him sure could talk. He realized that he had said he didn't mind talking to the other teen but they, or rather Syo, had been talking for about an hour straight. He was starting to wonder if the blonde even needed to breathe since he hadn't taken so much as a gulp since he sat down with the white cat. He didn't even stop to eat lunch, and since Ai didn't have to talk, he just gave up and munched on the small salad in front of him.

"And I know I haven't been to as many places as you but-"

"Look, kid."

"Syo." The blonde huffed.

"Syo." Ai rolled his eyes. He stood from the chair across from the blonde. "It's been really nice talking to you and all, but I have something else to do."

"No, wait." He got up, the cat jumped onto the metallic table that separated them. "I'm sorry for talking too much. I just don't talk to people very much."

Annoyed, Ai motioned to the cat. "Then talk to him."

As if my a pure work of fate, which Syo didn't believe in, Haruka and Tomohika walked in. Haruka, which was also unlikely, was the first one to speak. "Hello, boys."

"Just the person I wanted to talk to." Ai said, taking a step away.

"Wait."

Ai turned to him, his eyes flashing and angry red, before going back to the emotionless face he always had, which made Syo step back in fear. The cyan-haired picked up the knife he had left on the table in his try to escape Syo's prying and used it to force the metallic collar off the poor cat in front of him, just barely missing his neck with the serrated edge.

"There." He said. "Can we please talk Haruka?"

Much to Ai's surprise, she seemed shocked at the not so amazing thing that was happening in front of them. Jeez, it was like she didn't even know that the white little thing had a human form.

Otoya's limbs began to stretch painfully, the white hair receded, to let the pale skin that hadn't seen any sort of light in over ten years reveal it's self to the three very stunned members and the one not to shocked.

"He's... He's..." Tomochika stuttered, not able to find the words.

"A person?" Haruka finished for her. "I had no idea."

"Really?" Ai looked at her. "It's a fairly common torture method in Xetune."

"Xetune?" She looked at him questioningly.

"That's my home planet."

Those were the first words she had ever heard Otoya say. As the boy, who looked to be about sixteen, climbed down from the table, stark naked. He had the same wide red eyes from when he was a cat, but, although pale, his skin had a natural sun-kissed look to it and his hair was redder than blood.

"I-I never even knew." The captain couldn't even look at him in shame.

"How could you not?" Ai asked.

"I've never been to Xetune."

"That can't-"

"It's true!" Otoya yelled, not even bothering to cover himself, as he ran to Haruka's side. He put his hands on her shoulders once he reached her. "Mama Haru has never been to Xetune. She bought me in Trilles O."

"Mama Haru?' Syo asked. He looked absolutely astonished. His face looked completely blank. "This is a joke right?"

Nobody answered him. His face turned angry. "This has to be a joke. I've spent eight years here, how could we have not known! This is some sick trick, right Tomo?"

"Syo, I-" She stopped not sure what to say or how to explain something she didn't understand either.

"Haruka?" He looked to her for answers like always.

She continued to look at her feet, not even scolding him for addressing her in such a formal way in front of others.

"Xetune is full of shapeshifters. If one were to be kidnapped, it's not surprising something like this could happen. The real question is how do you even know how to talk?"

"Well-" Otoya started.

"How can you talk! Cut the crap!" Syo shouted at them. "How are you not mad at us? It's too horrible."

"I've seen worse." The redheaded teen shrugged.

"That's not good enough! I spent every night, every day, close to every waking minute with you. We played chess together, we did puzzles, how could I not know?"

"Chess and puzzles?" Ai folded his arms. "How could you not know?"

"I hate you!" Syo yelled to Ai before turning and running from the room.

"Syo." Otoya said weakly. His arms dropped from his owner.

"Don't go Otoya." Haruka said, fining her commanding voice. "Tomochika you go take care of that. I'll be there soon."

"Y-yeah." She took a second or two before taking off after him.

"If I knew it would cause a huge commotion I would have waited. I just wanted him to leave me alone for a bit." Ai said just like always, he didn't even sound apologetic.

"Yes and thank you for all your 'help'. Now if you don't mind, please go back to your room before I have to have you escorted there. I have to deal with my sons."

Ai once again rolled his eyes. Haruka knew what he wanted to say the moment he opened his mouth.  _"They aren't really your sons, you know."_

But he didn't, He opened his mouth then closed it. She could hear his teeth grinding. "Deal with your sons? You sound like my dad when I would get upset. I'll be in my room when you're done."

* * *

"Syo?" Tomo knocked on his door even though it was open a crack. But she could hear him. Although she couldn't understand why he would shed tears at a time like this, she knew the correct thing to do was comfort him.

_"Because Haru told you that's what you need to do."_ The little voice in the back of her mind told her. After all, Haru was always right. She always tried her best to make everything seem normal.

"Go away!" He yelled at her. But she was already in his room, looking at him from a few steps away. Half of his face was buried in his pillow and the other half that wasn't was facing her. His normally blue eyes red and puffy.

"Hey, it's okay. I mean, we had no way f knowing even if you did tell us. We've never even heard of Xetune."

He sniffled and sat up. "Are you sure?"

The redhead smiled at him. Around Syo it was so easy to say the right thing. "And think of it this way. When Ai stops traveling with us, you now have a brother thanks to him."

"I guess." The small blonde cleared his throat. "I really screwed up my chances at being his friend."

Tomochika sat down next to him, just like every other time he was upset, She had learned through eight years of experience that he liked to be close to someone while upset. So she wasn't surprised when his head fell on her shoulder and he leaned against her.

"You know." She gave his head a pat. "Haruka and I weren't friends at first and now we're like sisters."

"Really?" She couldn't see his eyes, his bangs hide them from her, but she knew that the tears hadn't stopped yet.

"Ah~ That's a long story. Maybe for another night. Just be happy you have a brother for now."

"One that's taller than me." He gave a small laugh.

"It happens." She giggled. "Haruka was taller than me as a child but now I'm the tallest and the oldest."

"It doesn't seem like it."

"Hey!" She jerked, forcing his head off her shoulder. At last, he was smiling.

"Forget that. When do I get to call her Mama Haru?"

"Never if you want to live." The captain's voice came from the doorway, Otoya was hiding behind her small frame, poorly. But he was cover with what looked like a tablecloth. "Good job Tomo. Maybe you can help Otoya find something that fits him."

"Syo's stuff would all be to small."

"Go check our closet." She pinched Otoya's cheek. "Go with her."

"Okay." He said and waited for Tomochika to pass his mother. "I'll be back so we can talk later Syo."

"O-Okay." The blonde gulped.

Haruka shut the door behind them as they left. "Syo, I have some things I want to tell you. I think after all this craziness there is something you need to know so there won't be any more days like today."

"Haruka?"

She strutted over to his bed, heels clicking together as she stopped in front of him. "There is one thing before I tell you anything."

"What?" He gulped.

"Everything I tell you, it never leaves this room or I will hunt you down. No matter how far you think you can flee, anybody who hurts Tomochika, I will kill them. I have always and will always protect her."

"I-I understand." Scared, he didn't meet her eyes.

She forced his chin up with her hand so he had to look her in the eyes. Emotions swirled around in her eyes as clear as the view of the sky from his old home. Angry, love, sadness, and fear. Fear of all things to be apparent on her face was something scarier than her tone. "From the oceans of Trilles O to the darkness of the Obsidian Abyss I promise." Her words fell short at the terror written all over his face. She couldn't help but pull him into a hug. "I get it, you understand."

"Haruka?" He forced the lump stuck in his throat down.

"Tomochika and I both come from a planet in the Vortex Star System called Asmeon. That's where she met Him., and that's the one place we can never return."

_Part I_

_Trace the Galaxy_

_End_


	6. Chapter 6

_Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

The little planet of Asmeon was in a quiet corner of the Vortex Star System. Asmeon was considered to be the earth of the Vortex galaxy. They did not have changelings or mental powers. They had simple lives that had almost nothing to do with outer space. But with a single crashed spaceship, that looked like a luxurious cruise liner everything changed. The Asmeonians became curious about their neighboring planets. Within five years they had not only built their own spaceports but because of the number seven inter-galactic trade station.

Haruka Nanami and Tomochika Shibuya had witnessed it all.

The Nanami's and Shibuya's were both families of trade. So when there became a new way to trade a merchant almost completely untouched by their people they both races to be the best. So needless to say the girls did not start out as friends. In fact, the bitter rivalry that filled them almost made their future together nonexistent. It was only by sheer luck that they became friends. At a small business meeting.

_5954_

Haruka glanced at her father. The older man looked just like her, right down to the sun colored golden eyes. Making his proud, she wore the dress he made specially made for this moment. He said that yellow brought out her eyes and whenever she was trying to impress someone she should wear it (needless to say, after meeting Tomo she never wore the color again). This moment, in her father's words, would be one she remembered for the rest of her life. And how right he was.

She wore her beautiful yellow sundress, made of only the finest silks that the Vortex galaxy had to offer, in order to impress him. A traveler from a far off galaxy named Ren Jinguji. The teen had come from a rather large family from a place named Lenus. Haruka was sure that her father wanted to marry her off to establish connections on a planet light years away.

"Why do I have to do this?" She asked her father, trying to look around the crowd for this stranger. For a 'small' business meeting there were a lot of people stuffed into a small room.

"You are the heir to the Nanami trading company." He answered her honestly with no emotion.

"I thought one of the boys would get the company."

"They aren't old enough, it falls to you until they are."

Her father was stern. The day that her mother had given birth to Haruka's three younger brothers, she thought her father would lighten up on her. After all, it was a man's job to run the company. But, if it were possible, he became sterner.

"Head up." Her father put his hand on her shoulder as they entered the ballroom door. "You are two years younger than the Shibuya's daughter. So you must impress this boy."

"Yes, father."

The ballroom was dimly light. The music was slow and soft. And people crowded around to try to find their host. Haruka's father parted with her to look for their host just like the other people there.

The small redhead crossed her arms over her chest. She started to tap her heeled foot on the tiled flooring. Her golden eyed looked on to another girl across the room, almost in the same position as her. She also had red hair (which wasn't uncommon for an Asmeonian) although it was set in beautiful long curls. This girl across the room with fiery red eyes and a crest upon her bosom that Haruka knew by heart.

Who knew that the Shibuya company had such a beautiful heiress? Though even with her heels she still stood at least half a foot shorter than the shorter haired girl.

Perhaps by mere fate, their eyes meet at that ball. They had a wonderful time chatting after the young traveler had retired from the party meant for him. Though when their fathers noticed how they talked, with the sweet and innocent aura, they tramped in and separated them, each glaring at the other man.

It wasn't long before Haruka could call Tomochika a friend. Though it had to be a secret friendship, as no one in the two families would approve.

* * *

_5955_

"Tomo?" Haruka called out. She walked down the dirty, well-worn path. Mud caked onto the bottom of her rather expensive shoes but her dress was safe as she held up the sides. The hideout that her and her best friend was just a few feet away. She could see the outline of the small cottage house with the setting sun just beyond.

Haruka was so happy to be away from her father. He was being even more smothering than usual. As travel became more common throughout their home planet, the Nanami family seemed busier than usual. But with a small white lie to her mother, she had been granted to stay over a 'friend's' house.

She was so happy she was practically skipping. Until she saw the door to their house open. Worry spouted deep within her gut. "Tomo?"

She let the fabric of her blue gown touch the dirty ground as she finished the rest of the short hike in a burst of speed. Her emotions shown clearly on her face as she pushed her way through the mostly open door. As to be expected the normally neat cottage was a mess as if a scuffle had broken out in the middle of the living room.

A crack ripped out through the air when her shoe made contact with the glass that was scattered on the floor. "Tomo?" She said quietly. "Tomo are you here?"

"Ha-haru?" Tomo's meek voice could be heard from the corner of the room. She shied away once Haruka turned her way, heels breaking more glass.

"Oh, thank goodness."

"Don't come any closer!" Tomochika shrieked. She could be heard shuffling away.

"Tomo what's wrong?" Her worried showed honestly on her face.

"I-I've done something awful."

"If it's about the mess, then you really don't need to worry. I'll have one of father's maids come to clean it. Or if you don't feel comfortable with that, seeing as you stay here more than I do, I can start cleaning myself."

"N-No not that."

"Then what?" Haruka tried to inch closer but every move she made was countered by a sift shuffle of her best friend moving away.

"He said, he crashed here. He would only be here a little while."

"He?"

"The boy, he wasn't..." She stopped. "I just thought he needed a place to stay while he fixed his ship. But he lied. It was never broken."

"Tomo." She tried to sound calm. "I really don't understand."

"He was a monster. Like from the stories." The long-haired redhead shivered. As Haruka's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could barely make out how incredibly pale her friend was. "And I was stupid enough to be his victim."

Haruka Nanami couldn't control her rage. Her friend was not stupid. It was her fault for not coming to the cottage to see her in so long. Haruka knew that Tomochika practically lived there since she was third in line for her family's company. She should have been there when that boy came here and sweet talked his way into their hideout. She should have been there to stop him from doing whatever he did to Tomo.

"Tomochika, I need a name." Her nostrils flared. There was nowhere on Asmeon that he could hide from her. She would bring him to justice, even if she didn't know what he did or even what happened. She was going purely off of what the Shibuya heiress had told her. But that was enough, wasn't it? "I will kill him."

"It doesn't matter Haru. He's long gone by now, and I..." She trailed off.

The ship! Haruka bit her lip. Asmeon wasn't a problem but if he had fled to another planet or even galaxy, she doubted her influence could reach that far. But if she had a ship... "A name Tomo."

Tomochika averted her eyes as she whispered out the name. "Van. Van Kiryuin."

"I swear I will track down this Van Kiryuin for you, even if it takes my entire life."

"Why?" The other female cried out, finally taking a step towards her friend. "We only met a year ago. Our companies are rivals. And yes, you are my best friend, but why go through all this trouble for me? Don't you understand that you'd have to give everything up for this... this suicide mission?"

Haruka was shocked. She didn't exactly know why she was going through all of this for someone she had only actually known for a year. But... "Hey don't cry. This sounds like a great chance to see everything there is to see. Will you come with me?"

"M-me?"

"Yeah, you. I don't know what he did, but if you come, we can make things better, somehow."

Tomochika bit her lip. "Yeah. I'd like that."


	7. Chapter 7

_Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

_5957_

Tomochika didn't talk about it, and Haruka didn't ask. Their relationship was as simple as that. For two years since they had stolen a ship from Haruka's dad, they understood that. But there was just something about that day. It was the day that they would never forget.

_9555_

_"Are you saying we should just take one of your dad's ships?" Tomochika had gasped at the idea of stealing from not only her best friend's parent but also her family rival. "Can't we just find someone else?"_

_"This is the easiest way," Haruka reassured her. "I know our docks like the back of my hand. I even know how to fly the ships. Father wanted me to know everything about our business just in case I had to take over for him before my brothers were ready. We'll have no problem sneaking in a grabbing one."_

_"I don't like this idea Haru, it's wrong."_

_Haruka spun around to look at her friend. She held her hands up to the darkening sky. They were on the main path headed directly to the Nanami family docks. "Just imagine the adventure that's waiting for us. It's only one stolen ship away. And think of it this way." She smiled happily. "These are technically my ships, so we aren't really stealing one, are we? It's more like borrowing-"_

_"Are we going to give it back?" Tomo pouted._

_"Well, no."_

_"Then don't call it borrowing."_

_"You're such a finicky person."_

_"I prefer the term morally correct." Tomochika laughed._

_After that, they walked in silence and waited quietly as all the workers left for the night. The moss-covered building was nothing new to Haruka, but to Tomochika the towering four-story building was like a small palace. The front doors were made of a rare metal and all the windows were barred. but even so, she could see inside. There were ships lined up at each wooden dock, some small some big. Some looked like cruise ships that would sail the ocean, some were fully covered metal monsters._

_But only one called to Tomochika as the 'owner' moved closer to it. A two-story metal ship that looked as if it belonged to the sea. It even had sails made of the same material as the rest of the ship. The bottom of it looked to be made of glass, but only at the very front end._

_"What is that?" Tomo couldn't help but gasp as her eyes fell on it._

_"Our new home.' Haruka said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world._

_"Do you even know how to work it?"_

_"Of course!" Haruka tried not to snap. "I was my birthday present after all."_

_"So when you said it wasn't really stealing?"_

_"That's right!" The short haired one said. "Now all I have to do is open the roof then we can leave."_

_Tomo looked up at the ceiling then back down to the massive ship. "Can we really man it by ourselves?"_

_"Not forever, no. Eventually, we'll need a crew, but I can at least get us to the next planet. Hopefully, we can find some people to help us before father sends out a search party for us."_

_"Why don't we just become pirates?" Tomo laughed at her joke. "Steal from whoever we please, and pay the crew that way."_

_Haruka stroked her chin thoughtfully. "We'd need a business to cover for it. Steal from one planet and sell things to others where the things we take could be more valuable."_

_Tomo stood shocked. "I was just kidding."_

_"But it sounds like a great idea."_

_"No it doesn't!"_

_"Sure it does." Haru pulled a leaver from a panel that Tomo hadn't noticed. There was a loud screech before the sound of turning wheels and the opening of the sky door. "It wouldn't be hard either. Poor people are loyal when they need to be. I can offer food, shelter, clothing, and money to people from other planets. Ones that want more with their life than just rotting away in the slums of some no-name place."_

_"But, if they knew the only reason you want to travel is to kill a man-"_

_"They don't need a reason why." She looked at the ground. Her teeth gritted she said more quietly. "And neither do I."_

_"Haru..."_

_"Come on." Haruka looked back up at her friend with a smile. "I knew I'd be able to talk you into this so for the last few days I've been stashing things we might need in there."_

_Tomo felt Haruka grab her hand. She smiled at the warmth. This warmth, it was only hers. Tomo would make sure that nobody ever took it from her. "Haru?"_

_"Yeah?" Her heels clicked against the wood as she pulled her friend behind her._

_"Once we leave, let's never come back."_

_"I wouldn't dream of it. But why do you say that?"_

_"Because, from now on you're my sister, the only family I need. If we ever come back here it would be a reminder that we aren't." She hiccuped._

_The short haired one spun herself on her heels to face Tomo. She couldn't believe the older girl was crying over something so... so little. "Of course. You're my sister and if this place makes you think that we aren't then we'll never return. Even after everything is said and done, we'll keep moving."_

_"Yeah." Tomo smiled through her tears._

* * *

_The next time they landed was on a planet named Iolea in the small and poor port city of Vernan. The place was a dusty brown, not even the grass grew green, and their water was murky and vile. Houses were falling apart, and it looked like many of the people preferred to sleep outside the crumbling mess rather than inside. But in the middle of the city was a large, somewhat glowing, palace. It was separated from the poorer people by a thick stone wall and iron gates._

_"This place is just awful." Tomochika covered her mouth wither her hands. She looked on in horror at the poor citizens that lived in poverty when there was a giant and fancy house that would benefit all if only the people who lived there would share their wealth._

_"This place is perfect." Haruka smiled watching a small ragged child pass them by as they walked through to see what little sights there were._

_"Perfect?"_

_"Let's liberate these people and start our days as pirates."_

_"You're still on that?" Tomo cringed._

_"It's a great idea."_

_"But we still need a crew. How are we going to find the people that we need?"_

_"Look around?" Haruka said happily. "We free these people from their probably tyrannical ruler and they'll love us."_

_"And how do we do that?"_

_The short haired girl looked thoughtfully at the palace for a moment. "I hadn't really thought that through yet."_

_"And we also don't speak the language here."_

_"Thanks for pointing out all the flaws," Haru said sarcastically. "Now how about some positive thinking."_

_Tomo shook her head. "That's all you do."_

_"And look where it's gotten us."_

_"You'd better have a good idea or I'll have to use my trump card."_

_Haruka gleamed. "Trump card sounds fun."_

_"It's not."_

_Haruka winced. The tone that Tomo used was different than her normal 'That's a bad idea' one that she used. The only thing that she could think of was to put her hand on her best friend's shoulder and shake her head._

_"I've got this covered. Now let's go back to the ship."_

_"Yeah."_

* * *

_Haruka waited until it was dark to make her move. She was already unhappy with how things were going. First Tomochika had refused to help her coordinate the plan on the first night. She had claimed that they needed more time to understand what was happening in this city. Tomo insisted on playing everything safe. Haruka on the other hand wanted to just jump in. She wanted to march up to the gates of the palace and demand they hand over money for the citizens or die by her hand._

_Thankfully, they went with Tomo's idea. A simple and quick assassination by night._

_"This is going to be so boring." Haruka sighed from her crouched position on the east side of the stone wall. The plan was complicated and it made Haruka not even want to bother with helping these people. From what she had seen over the past few days, they didn't even want help. Everyone in this little city seemed content with how they lived. Haruka didn't want those kinds of people on her ship. She wanted people who would fight for their lives. People who knew that they came from nothing and would give everything to never return to it. She wanted the ones that would claw their way out of the hellhole that life had stuck them in using their own two hands... Just like..._

_Her thoughts were interrupted but Tomo's words. "This is the safe way."_

_"Safe way, boring way, is there a difference?"_

_"Just do what I told you and everything will work out, okay?"_

_Haruka looked back at her. Tomo was crouching behind her, dark hood pulled up over her face. Her skin was barely visible in the dark nights that the planet of Iolea often faced. But her dark red eyes pierced Haruka's very soul. She didn't look like her Tomo anymore. She looked like a monster from the fairy tales her mother had read to her as a young child. She was the demon._

_Reaching out a hand to touch her, to make sure that she was still Tomochika, her best friend, her sister. "Tomo?"_

_Her eyes seemed to dim as her head snapped in Haruka's direction at the contact of her skin. "Ready to get a crew?"_

_"Yeah," Haruka said, unsure of everything._

_A scream was what drew Haruka back to her mission. Her and Tomochika had split up once they infiltrated the palace. Haruka took the right and Tomo on the left. Maids and staff members were to be unharmed and liberated, while the royal family members were to be killed swiftly and painlessly. But a scream meant pain._

_"What the hell is she doing," Haruka muttered to herself as she ran through the corridor, dodging the doors of the workers that were opening at the sudden sound._

_The trill stopped right before she reached the king's room. Haruka almost fell to her knees when she saw the sight in front of her. At first, she feared the worst, maybe they had somehow gotten and hurt Tomo, but the sight before her was far worse._

_Her best friend looked at her with dark eyes. Her blood covered hand still holding on the the queen's dismembered arm. The crimson coloring was everywhere, it looked like a bloodied tornado hit the room. Fragments of the king's body were stuck in chunks to the wall. And sweet Tomo just stood innocently in the middle holding that limp body part._

_"Tomo..." Haruka could barely speak at the sight. It was just too much for even her. "What did you do?"_

_"Haru." Her lip curled up. "I just did what needed to be done."_

_"But..."_

_"Now you'll have a crew that will fight for their lives. Who wouldn't after seeing what a real monster can do."_

_Sadly it was true. Even Haruka wanted to run, she wanted to get as far away as she could after seeing what her sister could really do. But she just couldn't leave Tomo. She had made a promise. So with staggering legs, she forced herself over to the taller female and hugged her tightly._

_"You're right. Thank you." Haru whispered. "But I won't make you do anything so awful ever again. I promise to protect you."_

_"How can you protect me from myself?"_

_She didn't even need a second to think. "I'll find a way."_

_Tomo looked down at her, letting her words sink in. She could feel the water welling up in her eyes. Letting go of the arm, she wrapped her arms around Haruka, and let herself cry, as maids and other members of the staff and household slowly arrived at the gory scene._


	8. Chapter 8

_Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

_5957_

"So cute." Tomo blushed as she squealed for the millionth time that day.

"We don't need a monkey." Haruka chided. "In fact, we can barely take care of the crew, we don't need a pet."

"But Haru, they need me. Just look at those big eyes. He wants me to set him free."

"No!" Haruka sighed. Tomochika was like this every time she saw a cute animal. Haruka didn't understand how she could find these creatures, from other galaxies, so cute. They were weird. One of them didn't even have fur! What had the merchant called it? A naked mole-rat? Haruka shivered thinking about it. She just wasn't an animal person.

"Why don't you want any pets? It's not fair, I get so lonely while you're working." Tomo spun around and poked her friend on her cheek and made a pout. Her red, pleading eyes, were staring straight into Haruka's soul. She looked just like a little kid with that look on her face, even if she was taller than the short haired redhead.

"Y-you don't need a pet. Come on, stop looking at me like that. It's embarrassing."

"Please." Tomochika pouted, even more, sticking out her bottom lip.

"No!"

"Haru." She dragged out the 'ru' trying to sound even more childish.

The merchant behind Tomo gave out a small cough as he put the brown fuzzball of a monkey back into its cage. "Ma'am why not just by her something small and independent? Like a cat maybe?"

"Cat?" Haruka tilted her head to see around the tall, yet childish, person blocking her view. "What's that?"

He gave a short laugh. "You don't know what a cat is?"

Tomo, recovering from her insane bout of regression, turned to the man. "We aren't really from around here, but I'd like to look at one."

"You speak really well for not being from around here." He scratched his head. "Sadly I don't sell them, though I do know a guy who might be willing to sell you girls one."

"Really?" Tomo's eyes shimmered with excitement. "Where is he?"

"Tomo." Haruka hushed her.

"His name is Raging Otori. He's a famous nobleman here, but I can get you an appointment with him." The man rubbed his hands together.

"A nobleman?" Haruka mumbled.

"Really?" Tomochika practically jumped. "How soon?"

The merchant looked at a silvery band he had bound to his wrist. He scratched his balding head and looked back at them with a small smile. "It's about noon now. Come back around dinner time."

"Thank you." Tomo smiled gratefully.

"Hey," Haruka said to him once Tomochika had calmed down, right before they started on their way again. "If I want to learn more about this world of yours, where would I go?"

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess you could go to the library."

"Thank you." She nodded to him before Tomochika grabbed her arm and lead her away.

* * *

When they first arrived at the library the two suns had been high in the sky. Both Haruka and Tomo were overwhelmed by the number of books stacked in the small brick building. From floor to ceiling, metal shelves held the vast knowledge that the people of Arborlon had accumulated over the years. And it was indeed a vast amount. Even though the people on their home planet prided themselves on how knowledgeable they were, it was only a speck of dust compared to here.

Grabbing the first book she touched, Haruka flipped it open. "It's different from how we write."

"But it's like we speak the same language." Tomochika, who had also grabbed a book, muttered aloud. She then turned her head to Haruka. "It shouldn't take long to learn."

_'People like you don't need to know how to read.'_

Haruka flinched. "You stay here and figure it out. There is something I want to check on." She tossed the book aside, her friend barely catching it before it hit on the the full shelves.

"Haru?"

"And if you leave," She turned her head back with a sickly sweet smile. "I'll be very mad at you."

She watched her friend flinch. She could tell that Tomo wanted to ask what was going on, but she knew better. There were just somethings that they didn't have to share. They agreed on that.

Exiting the gray bricked building, Haruka couldn't help but to look around. This place was rather nice. Strips of greenery littered the streets. Tall trees reached up to the dusty gray sky, their branches almost looking like hands.

_'Arborlon, huh?'_ Haruka shrugged taking off to the streets, looking for something, anything that would reminder her of her home. She couldn't help it, she actually missed Asmeon.  _'The biggest city on the planet of Trilles O. It's famed all throughout the universe for it's beautiful crystal blue oceans.'_

But even the most beautiful places had a certain filth to them that, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't hide. It was the same with Asmeon. To Haruka, it was a beautiful place, but underneath it was just like every where else.

She couldn't help but to burst out in a fit of laughter. The redhead knew she would draw the attention of the people nearby, but she didn't care. Where was it? Where were they? The only people she knew would be loyal to her. The people that wanted to leave and had nothing to lose by trusting her. She would make her crew, her pirates, be the best. And to do that, she needed people from all over. She couldn't count on the fact that Tomochika was incredibly smart, and had an easy time figuring out things such as languages, forever. She needed people from the different planets, galaxies, to tell her the ins and outs, to whisper in her ear. If she kept them safe and well fed they would help her. They would tell her things other might not.

They would lead her straight to Van Kiryuin. That was the only thing the mattered, and she couldn't figure out why. Why was she so mad at him? She had barely known Tomo when she decided to drop everything and chase him down. There were so many questions. But somehow, she felt as if she his blood on her hands was something she needed. To have blood on her hands again...

Straightening herself, she tried hard to wipe the smirk from her face. "Now then." She muttered. "Where are they?"

* * *

"It's so big!" Tomochika's eyes sparkled in fake innocence. "I've never seen such a big house."

Haruka wanted to laugh, she sounded so convincing. But she didn't. She couldn't even smile. If this was going to work then she needed to make everything seem as real as possible. Tomochika's want to see this mysterious pet cat, and own one (not that Haruka would be letting that happen anytime soon), was the perfect excuse to see the inside of his house. Maybe there would be something good there that would fetch a nice price back in the Asteria Nebula galaxy.

She let her golden eyes glance secretly at the man. Raging Otori. He was a rather tall man with ash brown hair. He wore such dark glasses that Haruka couldn't see his shifty eyes, not that she wanted to. And he also wore a smug smiled on his face. He looked like someone she couldn't trust. But she didn't need to trust him to get a look at all the riches his three story house probably held.

"It's so magnificent." Haruka said, trying her hardest to not sound bored.

"One day Haru and I will live in a big house just like this." Tomochika squealed, taking the pressure off of her. Her eyes shown with pure joy.

Otori looked down at her with that thug-like smile and gave her a quick pat to the shoulder. "Tomochika was it? Maybe you and you're friend would like to stay here for a few days?"

Tomo looked at Haru. Her eyes not pleading or big like they had been whilst looking at the strange animals. "Do you think we could take just a minor detour on our trip Haru?"

Haru, knowing she'd had to play the bad sister, shook her head. "Afraid not, mum and dad would be worried about us if we showed up later than we already are."

"That's a shame." He sounded let down. "Well, then I guess I should show you my wears so you girls can get back to your parents."

"Thank you." Both girls chimed at the same time.

"Ladies, You can head to the parlor, first door on the left and I'll be there shortly."

They nodded to him before they turned their backs to him and went their separate ways.

"So," Haruka raised an eyebrow as they walked. "biggest you ever seen?"

"That's better than just saying magnificent." Tomochika laughed teasingly. "Although, this place does look bigger once you're inside. You'd better take note of that."

"I agree. This is something the crew should be made aware of, for their own safety."

"Will you be leading them in again?"

Haruka smiled at her friend and gave a short chuckle. "There's nothing more fun."

"Can I come?"

"For what? The cat?" Haruka's eyebrow arched in disapproval. "No. I won't risk your safety over an animal."

"But I know you won't take on for me. You'll just let it go."

"That's exactly what I plan to do. You don't need a cat."

Tomochika opened her mouth.

"Or a monkey, gerbil, or anything like that."

She pouted and flopped down into one of the fancy looking chairs. "No fair."

"Life's not fair."

"Thanks mom." Tomo huffed.

With another chuckle, the shorter redhead took the chair next to Tomo and waited for the man to come back. The sooner he came back the sooner they could leave this place behind. Where would they go after Devtera of the Asteria Nebula? There were so many places left they could go. So many sights to still see. The Milky Way galaxy sounded nice. If she had heard right, much like the Gamma Orionis galaxy which they were currently in, The Milky Way only had one sun. How stunning that must be.

She was ushered out of her thoughts at the sound of the door opening.

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. This little guy can be feisty." Otori said with a frown etched into his features. In his arms, a tiny little puffball of white fur struggled. Haruka could see it's angry little face as it hissed at him. The sound of growling rippled through the air, and the man seemed to have no choice but to set the animal down. "Little Otoya here isn't very friendly, but worry not we have plenty more that have been trained."

"Where'd you get him?" Haruka asked eyeing him. Tomo on the other hand had no interest in what the other two people were saying and tried to befriend the creature. She slid of her chair onto the ground just to try to get a better look at it from under the table where it was hiding.

"A really good friend of mine owed me a favor and gave it to me as a present."

"And you have more?"

"Yes." Otori rubbed his hands together.

"So is this one, Otoya, for sale?"

The brunette's lips curled up. "I'm afraid not. He is so temperamental that I wouldn't dare sell him to you fine young ladies. No, I'm afraid he was the only odone with his grooming, so the only one I had to show."

Haruka smiled devilishly. "Oh, you know we could have waited just a little longer if it meant seeing one we could have."

"Again, I am sorry. But this little thing is for another client that would be able to handle it better."

"I see." She sighed. Telling her she couldn't have something only made her want it more. "That's too bad. I like a challenge." She gracefully lifted herself from her chair and called out to Tomo. "It's time to go."

"Goodbye, little one," Tomo said to the cat before getting up and running over to her friend. "Now what?"

Haruka didn't answer her until they were far from the man's prying ear. "How would you like a kitten of you're very own?" Satisfaction written clearly on her face. "I'm thinking maybe one that's white and looks like a poof ball."

"Yay!" Tomo pounced on her, forcing her into a giant hug. "I love you so much, you're the best!"

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

Night was always Haruka's favorite time of day. When the moons could watch over her and stars could guide her steps. An ever constant thing in her life. No matter where she went, there would always, eventually, be a night. A time of darkness when she could do what she was best at. Members of her crew, mostly only the ones that had been there since her first time gathering people at Vernan, joked about how opposite her and Tomo were. Tomo was bright and cheerful. Her bubbly outlook on life was infectious and could make anyone she met happy. Then there was Haruka. Dark and stern. For the newer members of her ever-growing crew, she could strike fear into them with a simple gaze. When she wasn't with Tomo, people flinched as she walked by. Proud, powerful and brave. Tomo's gaze was always filled with compassion while Haru often had a look of utter disdain. They truly were polar opposites.

Haruka took in the smell of salt, her nostrils flaring. Her hand swept across the thin blade, safely tucked into her boot, as she pushed herself up off the wooden dock. She could feel the planks beneath her vibrate as the footsteps of thirty men fell into place behind her. She didn't need to look back at their faces to know they were ready. They had always had that look in their eyes. Kill or be killed. That's how the streets were for the people she picked up. And she knew better than anyone else if you kill enough and climb those bodies, one day you could make it to the place that was filled with beauty.

_'Ah, the place next to Tomo.'_ She couldn't help but think about it. Her crew would agree. If not for the long-haired twenty-year-old none of them would have been there. Without even realizing it, she had saved so many people. So to them, she was the most beautiful thing they had ever laid eyes on.

With a frown on her face and the look to kill etched into her eyes, she barked at the men behind her. "You're princess wants a kitten. I don't care about the people there, but Tomochika will have the kitten called Otoya. Understand boys?"

There was a roaring cheer behind her as the men marched forward.

With how loud they were, Haruka was surprised the whole neighborhood didn't wake up. But then again, there wasn't much of a neighborhood where his house stood. People like him made it easy for her boys to rob them and get out. Who was going to hear the cried of a person who lived miles away from town and had their own docks? No one would be coming to save him, and no one would be chasing after them for the crime they would commit. Not that it always went that easily. There were still places looking for them like Cluna G1R8. That just meant she would have to be more careful if she ever went back there.

Haruka, being the captain, decided to take her sweet time walking up to the house. She knew that the thirty people she had hand chosen for this could get the job done without her help. She just liked to experience the thrill and terror of the people whom she decided deserved this pain.

"Captain." One of the men met her a short walk from the front steps. "I know you said you didn't care about the people here, but.."

His voice trailed off when her golden eyes locked with the purple ones of a young, barely younger than Haruka if she were being honest, boy, who had the same locks as Otori. Behind him cowered another, with the same ash brown hair and purple eyes. The older one looked at her from behind spectacles, stood firmly though his lips quivered.

"What should we do with them?" The one who had come up to her asked. "Should we-"

"They are mine now." She interrupted him. Haruka didn't take a second glance at the man, though she knew he was looking at the ground, before strutting off to the two young boys. Her lips pressed into a tight frown, and under the moon, that made her eyes shine brighter than the suns, her words had a certain venomous ring to them. "Do you like it here?"

The older of the two nodded.

"And your names are?" She asked, mostly looking at the one who cowered behind his older brother.

"Eiichi." The glasses one spat. "And he's Eiji"

"Well." She smiled happily. "You both are mine now, so let's take a short walk."

"But captain." The man called, he still hadn't brought his eyes up to look at her.

"Have you found the kitten yet?"

"N-no."

"Then take a hike." She smiled at him, a cruel and devilish smile that made the poor man shiver. "And don't talk to me again until you find him. Or I'm leaving you here."

He nodded, not daring to speak, before running off.

"All of this for a kitten?" Eiichi asked, turning his head away from her in frustration. "Is that all our lives are worth to you?"

"Now who said anything like that?" Haruka put her arm around his shoulder forcing him to walk. "That's just a little gift."

"For who?" The little one spoke for the first time.

Haruka looked up at one of the two moons. "For a monster."

"I don't believe you." Eiichi scoffed. "There's no such thing."

"This one is real though. You wouldn't think it at first, because this monster is absolutely beautiful."

"Monsters aren't beautiful. They're scary." Eiji said shyly.

"Not this one." Haruka smiled at the youngest.

"Enough of this crap," Eiichi said, hate-filled his voice.

"Careful boy, I could easily feed you to my monster. I do that with all the bad children."

"Why don't you just kill us already? Why do you have to prolong it?"

"You think I want to kill you? What good would that do?"

Both boys looked at her stunned.

"I'll give you a choice because I don't just tell people no. The first," She held up her index finger. "You can stay here, and tell everyone you have no idea what happened or who did it, and I will come by every so often to check on you. Two, you can come with me and never come back here."

"And three?" The teen gulped, holding his little brother's hand.

"You're death will be painless." She said solemnly. "Children shouldn't have to suffer a slow death by my brutish men."

"And if we tell someone?"

Haruka sighed. Why did they always ask that? "Then you are no longer children. When I find out which of you told, and yes I will find out, that one will suffer the most."

"Nii-chan." The little one tugged. Getting a better look at him, as he was no longer standing behind his brother, she would have had to guess him to be about five or six. "Let's just stay here. It's not so hard to keep things a secret?" His head titled.

"F-fine," Eiichi said. "Is there anything else to know?"

"No, it's late. I'll inform my spies before I leave to check on you tomorrow and tell you all you need to know to be in my service." She took her arm off of his shoulder. Giving a short little wave, she left the two, or rather just Eiichi, contemplating things.

"Captain!" She heard her name being shouted. Her eyes were met the smiling face of the man she had scolded and a tiny little pile of white fuzzy. "I found him."

"Well that didn't take long now did it?" She smiled as she lifted Otoya into her arms. "Come on little one, I will take you home."


	9. Chapter 9

_Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

_5973_

Of course, there were parts of the story that Haruka left out. What kind of mother figure would she be if she told the poor child everything at once? In fact, there were things that she had yet to tell Tomo even after eighteen long years. And she was sure there were things that Tomochika kept from her. Not as much as the old days, Haruka now knew exactly what that scum Van had done to her best friend, but there were still pieces of Tomo's life that didn't add up. Tomochika thought the same thing about Haruka, and the short-haired woman knew it.

Syo let out a laugh. "You really do love kids don't you?"

"Huh?" Was the only intelligent thing she could think of after hearing him say that. She had never really thought about it. She didn't think she was particularly fond of them, but it wasn't as if she went out of her way to kill them either.

"It makes so much sense when you think about it." He elaborated. " I was wondering why you would do so much when you barely knew her. It's because she so childlike. You probably see her the same way you see me."

The realization of what he was saying hit her like a brick wall straight to the face. She could never figure out why she had been so drawn to Tomochika. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did have a soft spot for children. And Haruka knew better than anyone else how childish her best friend could be. But it still didn't make sense either. There was always something... darker about Tomo even before everything that had happened that drew her in. That very first time that they locked eyes Haruka felt fear. Something sinister hide behind those beautiful eyes and uplifting smile. Something even Haruka didn't want to, or maybe just couldn't, face. And sure Haruka had only told Syo about that sweet and innocent charm that Tomo always had, but this was something she'd rather keep to herself. If he never saw that side of Tomochika Shibuya then he shouldn't have to fear it.

Because the real monster was there long before Haruka ever laid eyes on the long-haired woman.

Haruka scoffed at Syo, trying hard to hide her smile. "Believe whatever you want."

Syo sat cross-legged on his bed after Haru moved away. He looked down, letting his blonde locks hide his eyes from her and the rest of the room (though it was only the two of them in there). "I'm really glad."

"For what?'

"Just... I'm glad you didn't know about Otoya. I mean..." He stuttered trying to get the right words out. "I would have loved to have him as a friend growing up, but I.. Well... I'm glad that you weren't keeping him in that form to punish him."

The captain shrugged. "Tomo wanted a kitten, and she fell in love with that one. It was just a chance that what happened, happened."

"Still." Syo grabbed his ankles and started to rock back and forth. "He's been a cat this whole time. How do I face him?"

"The same way you always did." She answered plainly. "Isn't he still your friend? The only difference now is that he can talk to you."

"I suppose."

"Don't worry so much about it," Haruka said to him before leaving. She honestly didn't know what to tell him. Then again, it didn't seem like that big a deal to her. So what if his pet turned out to be a person? Now he has a friend his own age to play with, and he can stop annoying Ai. This really did turn out for the better. Half of her was glad that all those years ago Tomochika kept pestering her about the little white puffball.

* * *

Nothing, except for maybe Shibuya's smile, was more beautiful than standing among the stars. Although Haruka couldn't actually stand out in the frigidness of space, she could enjoy them from the glass bottom of her observation room. It was her favorite place. After all the people on her ship had gone to sleep, and the lights dimmed, she liked to go there and just watch. Sometimes she would close her eyes and imagine that she was one of those bright balls of gas, suspended in space. What had they seen over the years? How many people had passed through this very route? What would they witness next? When would they burn out, and leave nothing behind?

To be so dazzling, so bright, Haruka could only dream of being like that. The stars reminded her of Tomochika. One day all that brightness would burn away. Would there be anything left of the woman she knew when that happened? Would Tomo still be Tomo? Or would the only thing that remained be that scary bleak darkness that Haruka could never face?

"Captain?"

Haruka spun around. She hadn't heard his footsteps. She hadn't even heard him enter. But her sun-like eyes met with the pale cyan ones of Ai. Looking up and down at him, she noticed he didn't look ready to sleep. His hair, although it was no longer pinned up, was neatly brushed over his left shoulder, and the only thing missing from his attire was the normal white jacket he usually wore.

"What are you doing up?"

He frowned at her lack of feelings. "I could ask the same of you?"

"I'm older than you and the captain of this ship. I don't have to answer. You, however, are a passenger and are required to answer to me."

"Where I come from, the night is like the daytime."

She folded her arms over her chest. A wicked grin smeared its self across her face. "Oh really? I didn't know that Skyria Plyke was like that. Maybe next time I visit I'll check out the night time festivities."

"No.. I-" He stammered.

"Keep your lies straight, Ai, or I might start asking questions." She let the smile drop and returned to her neutral face. "So what are you doing?"

"I was looking for you." He said, jumping off the walkway and landing next to Haruka on the glass."

"Here I am."

"Here you are." He repeated distantly, almost subconsciously.

"What do you want?" She said sharply.

"I wanted to know you would go through so much trouble for another person."

"Why wouldn't I?" Haruka didn't even look at him. Her eyes could only see the stars. "Haven't you ever loved someone so much you would give everything for them?"

"Maybe?" It sounded more like a question than an answer.

"For Tomo, I would capture the universe. I would seize anything she could ever dream of having and present it to her on my knees if she asked. She is my sister, and I love her with all of my being."

"You would kill a man just to get her a kitten?"

"I would have killed him anyway."

"You'd abduct a child just because she wanted to see if Prindans really had, what your people call, psychic abilities?"

"Getting Syo was an accident. But yes, that is the reason we went to Prinda." She admitted for the first time out loud after eight long years.

"You'd spend the rest of you're life tracking down a monster just for her?"

Haruka turned to him, a scowl now on her face. "So you've heard of me from the spies? Which planet, I'll personally kill them."

"You can't kill the dead." He said coldly. "But yes, I know everything about you. But I can't figure out why? Why go through all of this for her?"

"Because!" She yelled, her voice bounded off the glass and echoed in the closed room. "It was supposed to be me! Tomochika had such a good life. If I had shown up a day earlier then it would have been me and not her. I let it happen to her, so I will find the cure for it."

He didn't offer her any sympathetic looks or even a nod. "It's not a death sentence. Some things kill you, some don't. You might never find a way to actually cure her. Even if you do look for the place I told you about."

"You don't know anything." She scoffed and turned her face away from his. Where did he get off acting like he actually knew what was going on? He couldn't see inside her head. He didn't know what the future held. "Anything she wants or needs I will get it for her."

He shook his head. "I'm going to bed."

Haru waited for him to reach the door before saying anything. "Hey." She made him turn back. "My offer still stands, because I like that look in your eyes. Do you know why?"

He shrugged. "I know everything about you."

She wanted to snort at his comment. But the look in his eyes as he turned his back to her made her bite her tongue.  _'Yeah right.'_


	10. Chapter 10

  _Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

_5973_

It was weird. Not only for Haruka but for Syo as well. In fact, Haruka was a little iffy about coming back to Prinda after so long. Syo might have thought of her and Tomo as part of his family now, but this was still where his real home was, with his real family that she had stolen him from. She couldn't even blame him if the second she took her eyes off him he bolted away. What she had done was wrong and some days, like this one, she regretted pulling him from his normal life. What kind of a life would he have now if not for her? What would have been so wrong with returning the child home after she and Tomo got what they were looking for? From what she had seen, it was the middle of the night on Prinda when she had taken him. His wild stories of being abducted by two redheaded women would have been easily dismissed as a bad dream. But at the time she hadn't thought of that possibility. She was still young, and she knew that there would be people looking for her trail. But one little Prindan boy would have been nothing for her to worry about.

"Syo." She called to him as he entered the deck with Otoya, who had become fast friends.

His big blue eyes looked at her. They shimmered in a way similar to Tomochika's when she was excited. "Yes?"

"Do you remember Prinda?"

He tilted his head to the side as if the motion would actually help him remember something. "Nope, should I?"

She gritted her teeth. "No, that's fine." Did he really not remember? Or did he not want her to feel bad? Usually, he was childish, much in the same way as Tomo, but there was some time (as few as there were) that he could act responsibly. There were times that she couldn't read him like the open book that he normally was to her. The way that his eyes shimmered made her want to believe him, but there was just something about him that made her not trust his words. It wasn't like she didn't trust Syo as a person, but it wasn't like him to not remember a place he had been. He was a travel geek. He could name every planet he had seen. He could also, out of the planets that he had seen, name the ones that he had been on because there were just sometimes that Haruka felt that he would have been safe enough with his cat to traverse the streets while she was doing business.

"Well." She straightened her silver, tight, jacket as she cleared her voice. "Everyone listen up. No funny business. We are only here to refill supplies before heading out to our true destination. Let's make this fast, and try not to draw attention. I'll be honest with you all." Her voice drawing all the workers attention to her. Even the people out in the hall peeked their heads in to listen and look at her. "I don't like being on Prinda. The less time we spend here the happier I will be. Understood?"

There was a choir of voices that echoed her last word back at her. It made her smile to see her crew understand. "Dismissed!" She yelled. And with that everyone went back to their stations.

"Mama?" Otoya tilted his head to her as she made her way up to them. She put a hand on each of the boy's shoulders. "Syo I don't want you off the ship. Understood?"

"That's not fair!" He glared up at her with those blue eyes, the excitement falling away from his face. "Prinda's not that dangerous, is it? You always walk around with me when there are no deals to be made. And Tomo is feeling okay today."

"I said no." She responded with a cold tone.

"There is Otoya and even Ai. I don't understand why you are doing this!"

Her hand squeezed his shoulder. She looked down at him with angry eyes and she could feel him flinch beneath her touch. "I said NO! Do you understand or do I have to have you locked up while we are here?"

He quickly looked away from her. She wasn't sure if it was fear or that he just could stand up to her. "I understand."

"Good." She let go. "Go back to your room, I need to talk to Otoya."

"Whatever." He muttered tearing away from her hand. He purposely stormed off loud enough for her to know that he went in the direction of his room, which was on the other side of the ship than the exit.

Red eyes look up at her. The spark of anger, disappointment, in them Haruka didn't miss. His voice, however, was still quiet and seemed to harbor no ill-will. "Mama Haru?"

"Otoya you'll look after him won't you?" She asked him kindly.

"I always do." He answered a little plain.

"Otoya do you like having Syo as a brother?"

"O-of course." He blushed.

"Then make sure he stays on the ship."

"He seems unhappy though."

Haruka clicked her tongue. "Why don't you take him to the observation room while I'm out. I'm sure that will make him feel a little better."

Otoya nodded. He gently pulled away from her but stopped before completely walking away. "You know, I think that you should trust him a little more."

"Otoya..." She looked at him sadly. She couldn't tell him that it wasn't Syo that she didn't trust. She wanted to let him out, she really did. But even after all the years that he had spent away from this place, he was still one of this planet's people. He looked like he belonged here because he did. She didn't want to let him go. If he didn't remember being in this place, then it was for the better that he didn't wasn't just doing it for herself... She wasn't! "I wish I could."

Otoya only shook his head at her before running off. She wouldn't blame him for being disappointed in her. She was a little frustrated with herself.

* * *

"Why did I have to come walking with you?" Ai said dully. He was obviously very bored with this bronze planet, or so he made it sound. At every sight, his eyes lingered for a second longer than they should have. He placed his hands behind his head and tilted his face to the sky, trying to make it look like he wasn't staring.

Haruka almost laughed at how dishonest he was with himself. "Do you know what Prinda is famous for?"

"The people's strong psychokinetic abilities. Everyone knows that."

"Wrong." She said waggling her finger at him. She knew that his statement was right, for the most part, but she didn't mean what were the people famous for. And they weren't really famous for that, it was more like infamy. "Matra is the largest city on Prinda, but one thing makes it stand out more than any other city in this galaxy. Do you know what it is?"

Ai thought for a second. His eyes wandered around as if the answer would be right in front of him. And in a way it was. "I don't know." He finally answered, giving up with a shrug.

"Matra has this giant Holo-dome that covers the entire city. It allows them to change the weather, the temperature, anything with just a click of a button. It's even better than just that. Each section has their own panel. Section three could be snowing while section two is in the middle of summer. It's fascinating. They truly are the most advanced place I've ever been to."

"Have you been to Lenus?"

"Yes."

"They are way more advanced."

"Yes and no." She corrected him. "Lenus was on par with Prinda for a long time. But once the Lenus Prinda contract was formed Lenus was able to borrow this technology from Prinda. Prinda got amazing things in the deal, but originally it was Prinda on top."

"I never thought you'd be such a geek about things like this." He admitted at little surprised.

"It's good to know things like this. Can I break through the security if I have to leave in a hurry? No, so I don't steal from here anymore."

"Anymore?" She peaked his interest. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"That was a long time ago." She smiled to herself.

"Why the history lesson?"

"Well, usually I walk around with Syo and teach him everything he hasn't had a chance to learn. Normally this would be his lesson, but you learned something right? Don't complain."

"Which begs the question again; Why do I have to be the one to walk with you?"

"I grounded Syo to the ship. I don't like Prinda."

"I heard." He let his arms drop and stared at her. "But aren't you being a little too overprotective? Unless you have a reason you still think he shouldn't be here?"

"No, I-"

"What is it? Do you not trust him? Think he'll run away?" He pried, although he had a smirk on his face that told her he already knew all the answers. "Or is it you think he'll find someone he knows and not know what to do? Let me tell you, I may not be able to do amazing things like changing the weather with a click of a button or move things with my mind, but I do know he would always come running back to you. No matter what awful thing you do."

The last part came out like a whisper, and she almost missed it. Almost. Her head whipped around and she glared daggers at him with those piercing sun-like eyes. "Who the hell are you?" She couldn't stop the words. She had been doing a good job at holding them back, but they started to spew forth and she couldn't stop it now. "How do you know so much? You make it seem like you know everything. What I did, what I'm doing what I plan to do."

"Because I do know."

"How!" She yelled at him. A few pairs of eyes fell on them, but once the Prindans realized it was in a language they didn't understand, most left. Her hands balled into fists, ready to strike him. "There are things you seem to know that I haven't told anyone. Things I haven't thought about in decades. Who are you?"

He tilted his head. "Do you really want to know?"

* * *

Syo paced up and down the glass floor. Prinda was just as he remembered. He had heard, mostly from spying on Tomo and Haruka, that they had improved a lot after he left. The contract that his dad had gone to Lenus to make had gone through. But a lot hadn't changed. Even from the glassy room, a good twenty feet above land, he could see the bronze grass. Stopping in mid-pace, he looked down, for the umpteenth time in the last hour.

_'Home'_ He shook his head. This wasn't home. It couldn't be. His home was with Tomo and Haruka. This was just the place he was before he met them. but still...

"Syo?" Otoya said, his voice filled with worry. He had giant puppy-dog eyes, which was somewhat amazing since he was actually a cuddly kitty.

It was his idea to go to the observation room, even if he claimed Haruka told him they could. He was still the one who brought the blonde there. So if he was going to do something to make himself worry so much what was the point?

"What's wrong Otoya?"

His red eyebrows knitted together. He opened then closed his mouth several times as if he didn't want to say something. But he did anyway. "Haruka is calling for you. She said to make sure you're properly dressed first though."

"Do you have any idea what she wants?" The blonde asked. He had a good idea that whatever she wanted, it would only piss him off more.

"Well..." Otoya blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I might know."

"Well?"

"Well..."

After hearing what she wanted it took him seconds to leave, get dressed and appear before her and Tomochika. Otoya arrived a few minutes later, panting. Even though Syo did feel sorry for leaving him in the dust, he wanted to hear it from Haruka, before she changed her mind.

Although, Haruka wouldn't look him in the eyes. Her paler than normal face, looked only at Tomochika. Her arms were tightly crossed around her bust and her lips were in a thin flat line. He waited for her to speak, but it seemed she was thinking about what she wanted to say. So he gave a small cough to get her attention.

"It seems that I might have been a little hasty to debar from leaving. If, and only if, you take both Tomochika and Otoya with you, will I allow you to leave the ship. Stick close to them and do no leave their sight."

"Really?" He was stunned.

"Yes." Her voice was flat, like she didn't like the idea even though it was hers. "Go before I change my mind again."

Syo looked back at Otoya and said with a happy grin. "Where's Ai, maybe He'll want to go too."

"No!" Haruka interrupted. She then cleared her throat. "He and I have things to talk about. When you return you can find us in the observatory."

The blonde frowned. She sounded strange, but he didn't have time to care. Reaching passed her, he grabbed Tomochika's hand and pulled her away. She didn't say much, as her eyes were glued on Haruka.

"Syo." She childishly called once the three of them were off the ship. "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?" He didn't look back at her. He just kept pulling her along.

"Why she changed her mind?"

He wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained. "Why did she change her mind?"

"I have no idea." She giggled.

Syo stopped. He allowed her to hit his back when she tried to come to a halt. He turned to face her, confusion clear as day on his face. "She didn't tell you?"

"Not a word." She placed a finger in front of her mouth.

"Ai probably asked her to." Otoya said from behind Tomo. he popped his head out and look at them both with innocent eyes. "She changed her mind after they went walking the streets. And I over heard one of the people talking about a fight."

"How did you-" Syo tried to ask.

"I spent eight years with you. I learned to speak what you speak, and more."

"So." Tomochika chimed in. "You think Haru and Ai got in a fight and to make a point, because with Haru there always has to be a point, Haru let Syo do what he wanted? Sound about right?"

"I'm not sure." Otoya shook his head. "None of the Prindans that heard the fight know Asmeonian, so without being there to translate myself it's hard to know."

"Either way we're here now. Let's make the most of it."

"Yeah." Syo smiled.

After a little while of walking, Tomo was the one to say what was on every one's mind. But her joking voice did carry a note of seriousness. "No wonder Haru didn't want you coming out here alone. You look just like all the other's here."

"No, if you look close enough, they all have their differences." Otoya explained before Syo could. "Besides, from what I hear It's very common to have blonde hair and blue eyes on Prinda."

"Wow, you sure do know a lot, kitty." Syo said teasingly.

"But, not everyone has amazing senses. How does everyone tell each other a part from their family members?" Tomo put a finger on her chin, like she was thinking hard about it.

"They just know." Syo said quietly watching the crowd. He could see younger people walking by. A nearby school had probably just let out. But one face. He would never forget that one face. He turned abruptly. "I'm done here. Let's go back."

"But Syo!" Tomo whined. "Why?"

"Haru's right." He closed his eyes, wishing he had a hood to pull over his head. He should have asked to borrow Ai's jacket, but how was he supposed to know. "I don't like Prinda very much either. Let's go."

Otoya let his gaze linger on the crowd, before following suit and taking off after the other two.

* * *

"Syo." The red haired woman called to him. He wasn't sure how she knew it was him, because she was looking down at Prinda. Her golden eyes just shades ligher than the bronze grass twenty feet below them.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked. It wasn't the real question he wanted to ask, but it would do for a start.

"A mother knows which of her sons is going to ask her something." She said kindly, her head turned to him. "Come here."

"You knew I'd be coming?"

"Of course. It probably surprised you I let you leave after being so cruel this morning. You should know, I had your best interests in mind."

"I know." He walked down the metal steps onto the glass. "I get it."

She stretched out an arm he came forward. She pulled him in by the shoulder and patted his head with her other hand. "Look down and tell me what you see."

He gave her a quizzical glance. "I see Prinda's bronze grass."

"What else?"

'Uh... People working on the sky docks?"

"And?" She pressed. "Anything else?"

"No?" He asked.

"You can't fool me forever. Just answer honestly."

He paused. Syo knew the answer she was looking for. So in a hushed voice, he allowed himself to say it. "Home."

She tensed. "Don't you ever dream about going back? If you wanted this would be the perfect time."

"No way!" He shouted, throwing her arm off his shoulder. "I love it here. You and Tomo and Otoya and everyone else. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Haruka could hear his choke on a sob, but his eyes remained dry. "Of course not. It's just, if you wanted you could leave. I wouldn't blame you."

"But I want to stay. This is my home now." He looked at her, blinking back tears to show her that he is strong. "Why are you doing this? Is it because of something Ai said?"

"What? No." She looked stunned that he even knew about that. "Ai just reminded me that there is something I want to do. And If that something were to make you see me as a horrible person, I don't want that."

He gave her a small sad smile. "But you're the best. Everyday I'm glad that I can be part of this ship. So you go tell Ai, no matter what you do, I'll never look at you differently."

"Sure." She smiled. "I'm going to take a break, you can stay here, if you want. I want to give you a chance I never did eight years again and let you say good bye to this place."

"It's nothing special. He laughed. "Turns out, I don't like Prinda much either."

"Have fun." Haruka gave him one last pat on the head before leaving. She then mumbled to herself, in such a low voice, Syo wasn't sure it actually was spoken. "I guess he was right."

Closing his eyes, Syo listened to her heels clanking against the floor, a sound that had somehow become comforting to him, growing fainter and fainter. he released a sigh, letting all of his frustrations and sorrows go.

"You always do that you know."

"AHHH!" Syo screamed, jumping away from Otoy's voice. When he opened his eyes, the red head, who only hand pants on and the rest of his attire in his arms, was standing next to where he had been looking startled. "When did you get here?"

"When Mama left I came in to see how you were doing."

Syo placed a hand over his chest. "Next time say something! I thought you were going to give me a heart attack."

"Sorry." Otoya said sheepishly. "So?"

"So, what?"

"How are you doing?"

"Fine?" Syo eyed him. "Why?"

Otoya dragged the heel of his bare foot across the glass. "You don't talk about the other Syo very often. It must have been weird to see him like that."

"You noticed?"

The redhead gave him a toothy grin. "Call it my feline senses." His tone turned more serious. "Shouldn't you have called out to him?"

"Why?" Syo lowered himself so he could sit. "So I could ruin his life? I could imagine it now. 'Oh hi Kaoru, remember me your twin? Well, one night I got abducted but the person who did that brought me back. I know it's been eight years but here I am. By the ways How's mom?' That would be a disaster."

"Twin?" Otoya shook his head. "But still what if he was worried about you? You still have time."

"That's not my life anymore." Syo said. "I willingly gave it up. Besides, if you saw the same person I did, you saw that smile. He's happy now. I don't want to mess that up. who knows, maybe it's for the best."

"I get it." Otoya flopped down, he didn't even wince as his head made contact with the floor. "I had a brother too. So I understand that when you see them happy you don't want to ruin it. You don't want to interfere. But later you won't feel that way. You'll wish you had said something, anything."

"You didn't say anything either?"

"I knew Cecil would find his way in life. I just wish I would have told him that I'm still here, I'm okay, and he doesn't have to worry about me anymore."

"When did you last see him?" Syo asked, feeling a little guilty.

"Long before I met Haruka." His red eyes looked at the ceiling. "I wish this whole room was made of glass, not just the front and the floor. I wonder what it's like to lay with the stars above and under you."

"Otoya..." Syo hesitated. He waited for the redhead to look at him. "If you.. If we ever find Cecil, I'll be with you so you can tell him you're fine."

They both felt the ship jerk into motion. "If you ever find Kaoru again, I've always got your back."

Syo placed his hands on the glass and looked down. Thirty, fourty, fifty, sixty feet away. The bronze grass was to far for him to see. All that could be seen was white clouds and be begins of the stratosphere. "Thanks, Otoya."


	11. Chapter 11

_Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

_5973/5974_

He could see it in the distance. The blue and orange familiar swirl of the Milky Way. Ai had always been entranced my the orange glow of the sun even if he knew that the sun the earth used was on the edge of that colorful orange. It still made him feel warm. That loving warmth. He could close his cyan eyes to the world outside the observation room and still be able to see it clearly. His hand went slack, as he allowed himself to relax. Is bag, fell from his shoulder and met the floor below with a small thud.

Eyes shot open as he bent down to pick it up. Protectively he held it against his chest. Heart beating frantically as he checked the contents inside.

His eyes, back to their neutral, emotionless, state glare out the window. ' _They were entering from the Monoceros ring? How reckless.'_ The pale teen thought.  _'There are much safer ways than going in through that cluster of stars. It's complex, and to try to get through all three layers..'_

His mind trailed off. It didn't matter. The cold depths of space were something he knew he could survive, even if it was just him alone. Nuzzling the brown pack up to his face, he let out a quiet sigh. "Just a little while longer and you'll be home."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tomo was the only person who dared to voice the question. For anyone but her, it would have been treason. But she was Tomochika, Haruka's most precious person. There was no way that the short-tempered redhead would throw her off the ship.

"Have I ever been wrong before?" She asked with a smirk, making the crew (though it was mostly men in the control room) sigh in relieve.

"I can't count the number of times you've been wrong." The taller woman shouted, making everyone else in the room tense up again.

This back and forth had been going on for too long. One of the men, Masato who manned the navigation system, spoke up. "I believe we are of the fastest course, which was the captain's wish. If we go in at a forty-five-degree angle we should be able to pass all three rings of the fragmented stars without a problem. In theory..." The last part was added quietly.

"In theory?" Tomo shouted.

"If you keep being loud I'll have you escorted to your room," Haruka said harshly. "And it's only a theory provided by one of the most brilliant minds from this side of the Milky Way. Aine Kisaragi was far too advanced to be an earthling, but he was the best in his field."

"Who?" Tomo asked voicing, yet again, the question on everyone's mind.

"He was a genius from earth, many years ago. His theories proved that earthlings had the potential to be as innovative as Lenus and Prinda." She said sadly. "But one day he was just gone, and with him the hopes of earthling discovering there are far more intelligent life forms. Some say he took a spaceship from the Russian Federal Space Agency and hasn't been seen since."

"You know a lot about him," Masato commented plainly before making his way back to his seat, in front of the sleek screen and button panel.

"He was my idol growing up." Haruka blushed.

"You never mentioned anything about him to me." Her best friend pouted with her arms crossed.

"I didn't think you would find him interesting," Haruka said honestly. "I have another idol too if you must hear about him. He's more of a myth though."

"No." Tomo childishly shook her head. "I don't care."

"Fine then. Go find Ai for me." She shooed the other away.

That seemed to make Tomo smile for some reason. She skipped off to find their passenger. Moments after she left eh ship gave a violent shake, throwing some of the workers from their chairs.

"What was that?" She yelled to Masato.

"Just hit a star." He rubbed his head getting back to his seat.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again." She said

"Yes, captain."

* * *

Ai was the first one out after they landed. He had originally given them the location of the last place he remembered but they somehow managed to be a few miles off course (which may have been for the best, a giant ship landing in the middle of a city wasn't something Haruka wanted to deal with). He took in the greenery of the untouched land. Fuji mountain wasn't too far away (being just across the small body of water and Aokigahara), but still hard for him to see. The blue skies. How he missed it.

The rest weren't as happy as he was. Haruka, although she was stunned that her scientist's idea for traveling to the Milky Way worked, had to punish her crew, because they hit many, many, stars. Which inevitably damaged her ship. Her beautiful ship had burn marks scorched onto the side of the metal exterior. She started shouting orders the moment she walked off and saw her baby in such a state.

"And the next person to see Masato..." She gritted her teeth. "Tell him he's dead."

"What the heck?" Syo shrieked the moment he stepped off the ship. sure he had seen planets with green grass before, but never a field of the stuff. Most places that he went to were in a porting town, there was little of the greenery to see. It was Otoya and Tomochika who had forced him off the ship's stairs. "I don't want to touch it!"

"It's just grass." Otoya laughed.

"It's something new!" Tomo giggled.

"I don't like either one of those things." He yelled.

But those two knew he was lying. So the continued to pull at him until they all fell to the ground laughing.

"I don't have time to waste here," Ai said with a disapproving look. "Captain please come with me. We'll be back soon."

'Why me?" She asked looking in his direction to see that he was already walking away from her. She balled her hands into fists before talking off after him. "I didn't even say yes. I have things to do, you know!"

He turned back to her. "It will be worth it, I promise." Then he continued on, looking straight ahead, with his backpack pulled lovingly under his arm.

"It better be." She muttered.

After an hour and a half of walking, and Haruka's bitching, they arrived in a small town. Haruka could help but to look at the beauty in front of her. There were so many colors that she had never seen. Green dragonflies buzzed by, the brown bark of the tree had small little bulbs with little hints of a delicate baby pink.

"It's so beautiful here." She said.

"I used to think that too." Ai retorted quietly. "But on earth, things seem to die faster than where I come from."

"Where is that again?" She asked, hoping to catch him in the lie.

But he looked at her with cold eyes and spoke in a smooth voice. "I've already told you."

"Right." She rolled her golden eyes at him. "Where are we going?"

The emotionless boy couldn't help but to laugh. "Now you ask? It's doesn't matter. We're here."

Haruka looked around. "Here?" Her eyes only saw the road and gray stone steps.

"Yes." He held out his hand to her. "I want to drop something off here."

"Really?"

Talking came from the background. A group of, five or six, younger-looking earthlings made their way over. One of them even pointed at Haruka. "Nagi, you have company."

The one in the middle looked passed Haruka. "Ai!" His gray eyes looked excited, much in a way that could remind the redhead of Syo or Tomo, but not quite. More like how Otoya looked at her, with love and admiration.

"Nagi." He greeted coldly.

The salmon haired boy broke away from his friends with a short wave and a nicely said 'goodbye'. He ran up to the pale teen and tackled him into a hug. "Where's Uncle Aine?"

Ai shrugged at his words. But Haruka didn't miss that name. The name of someone she admired. The name of someone who was unhappy with where he was so he left. Ai's voice was the only thing that brought her back from her thoughts. "Where's your dad?"

Nagi huffed. "He's being a jerk."

Ai scowled. "Where exactly is he being a jerk at?"

"He's probably in the garden. That's where he always is when I get home from school."

"Thanks." The older one didn't sound thankful. He rudely turned his back on the kid that seemed to adore him and started his ascent. Haruka followed him, feeling bad for the kid that slowly trailed after them.

"You could be nicer." She scolded him.

"The same could be said to you, wouldn't you say?"

"Mind your own business." She frowned. He had gotten her, and she knew it. But she was harsh on Syo out of love. She wanted him to grow up to be a strong person, even if he wasn't really her son. And she was hard on Tomo sometimes too, but that was because the other redhead was a grown woman and never acted like it. Sometimes she just needed to be put in check.

"Reiji!" Ai called out reaching the top of the steps.

Haruka reached the top and held in a gasp. It looked like an old temple, but it sparkled as if it were cleaned with love every day. The gray footstones were even cleared of any specs of dirt. And before her, stood a brunette man. His blue jeans and tee-shirt not quite matting the imagine the temple was giving off, but he had kind gray eyes.

"Welcome home Ai."

"Hey." He said with no emotion.

"And who is this?" He turned to her.

"I'm-"

"Don't listen to her, she's a liar."

"I haven't said anything yet!" Haruka yelled at him.

"No, but you would have lied."

"When have I ever lied to you?"

"Last time you opened your mouth." He said cruelly.

Reiji looked between the both of them, he could see Haruka's cheeks grow redder and redder with each passing moment. He couldn't help but to double over in laughter. Finally, when he was done, wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked back at them to see them both staring at him. "What are you doing here, Ai? And where is your papa?"

Ai's face twisted. He pulled his backpack over to his side and opened it for the brunette to look in. "Here."

Gray eyes met with a silvery cylinder shaped object. "I see."

"I promised to bring him back to earth. Promise fulfilled." He stated it like it was a fact.

Haruka's eyes widened in realization. So that's why he wanted to get to this little planet so badly. Why he would risk pissing her off when he knew exactly what kind of person she was. "Your dad's an earthling? I thought you said you from Skyria."

"Skyria Plyke?" Reiji said sounding surprised. "Heavens no. Aine picked him up on M-"

"Reiji!" Ai growled in a low voice.

"You keep saying Aine. Could you possibly mean?" She didn't finish.

"Aine Kisaragi." The salmon haired boy said. Haruka jumped. She had completely forgotten about him. "Everyone here called him a lunatic, but really he was the smartest person ever."

"So he's finally gone." Reiji waited until Ai lifted the urn from his bag and placed it into the earthling's hands. "The cause?"

"Unknown." Ai mumbled. The cyan haired boy looked at Haruka. "I have finished what I came here to do. I shall now take you up on your offer."

Haruka smiled. "Good."

"Ai!" Reiji said, worry apparent in his voice. "There are somethings I want to talk to you about."

"Captain, please leave first. I will return shortly."

She nodded. "Hurry up. I won't wait long."

She was lying. Ai knew that. Haruka knew that he knew. Maybe he was right, maybe she was a liar.

"Ai." Reiji waited until she had descended the stairs enough to no be see anymore. "You know you are always welcome here."

"I know." He said, as if it were a fact.

"You don't have to travel with her."

"But I want to."

"Why?" Nagi asked. "Why go with her? We are your family. You were lucky enough to find a fool that would bring you to earth. Just stay with us."

"I like the ship she has. The sights I've seen traveling with her."

"Ai." Reiji closed the distance between them and forcing the teen into a hug. "We wouldn't mind you staying with us. Please consider it."

"I have." He wiggled out of the awkward show of affection. "But I'm afraid I have to pass."

"Why?" Nagi choked on his words. "You said she's a liar. Why stay?"

"It doesn't matter if she lied if I already knew the truth." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, I'm sure that Haruka is the only person alive that can show me the things I want to see. From that, I can learn."

"Ahhh." Reiji nodded, holding the urn close. "You're so much like your papa, it's hard to believe you two aren't related."

"Whatever." Nagi shrugged. "You can leave just like he did. I don't want you to ever come back!" The pink haired boy ran to the entrance of their, no, his home. It was no longer a place Ai could think of as home.

"Go." Reiji smiled. "I'll calm him down. and should you ever be in the Milky Way again, you are free to stop by."

"Thank you for understanding." Ai waved goodbye at Reiji, staying only to watch the brunette take the silver urn and take off after the sad twelve-year-old boy, before climbing down the gray stone steps to met up with the short-fused, petite, red-haired, captain.

_Part II_

_Trace the Universe_

_End_


	12. Chapter 12

_Part III_

_Trace the World_

_?_

_The deep rich blue grass felt like spikes beneath his paws. Pads grazed over the sharp spikes, making him want to yelp. The sky, a vibrant golden, lit up with the sky-flowers. They only ever meant bad things. Though the spray of colorful reds and greens stood out, making the sky far more gorgeous than it already was, Otoya knew that those were a warning. Because life on Xetune was treacherous and hard. Even the most beautiful things could be an ominous sign of impending doom._

_His white fur slowly shrunk back into his sun-kissed skin. The five-year-old Otoya lifted himself off the ground, not ashamed of his lack of clothing. Xetune was full of changelings, so unlike most planets, they didn't much care for pieces of fabric to cover themselves with. Such things would be considered shameful. His parents had taught him that, even at his young age, that hiding one's self would show weakness, and a possible mate would run in the opposite direction if they thought that their partner had something wrong with them that could be passed down to their offspring._

_"Cecil?" He called out, taking his mind off of the lack of anything to protect him from the wind, not that it was cold or had a chill to it. His red-eyes skimming the blue hill. Placing a hand to his brow, he looked around again. There seemed to be no sign of his brother. His mother would be furious. Since the rest of Otoya's litter had died of disease and Cecil was an only born kit, their mother had grown far too overprotective. Their father, on the other hand, wanted them to play like normal kits and have fun outside under the pale gold sun._

_"Cecil?" He called one more time, looking around for the black, kitten-like, creature._

_The red-haired boy frowned. Sky-flowers were blooming and his brother was nowhere to be found. He wished that he had_ _paid a bit more attention when his mother was explaining the flower coloring to him. Green definitely meant poachers, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what the red stood for. And was the district he was in being hit? He lived in the Holliander district, also known as district 567. It was far from any of the town districts, in fact, it was more of a farming community._

_"What do I do?" The young kit asked himself. "I thought Cecil was right behind me. I can't tell Mama that, she would kill me."_

_He began to pace. Sharp glass like grass sticking into his human form's flesh. Flowers still blooming in the sky overhead. How could he have lost his brother? Normally he and Cecil were so careful. They didn't want to give their mother an excuse to keep them inside. They loved running around through the fields, feeling the warm glow of the sun on their backs, the sweet lavender smelling wind through their fur._

_"Maybe if I backtrack." The changeling said aloud. "He probably just got distracted."_

_Otoya couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. There was a knot in his gut telling him not to go back. Just to go straight home. Placing his hands on the ground, he willed himself into his cat-like form. He'd rather be in this form, it was more comfortable._

_He pushed off, running back down the hill. His red eyes closed as he listened to the flowers blooming in the sky._

_Boom, boom, boom_

* * *

_5974_

Otoya gasped shooting straight up from his sleeping position. He normally slept in his kit form, but after being trapped in it for so long, he had wanted to try sleeping as a human.

For once he was glad he wasn't sleeping with Syo. Not that he wasn't sleeping in their shared room, but he was used to sleeping whenever he wanted. Sometimes he slept at night with Syo, but on days like this one, he had spent the entire night laying in the observation room just watching and waiting.

"It's been so long since I dreamt of that place." He wiped the sweat from his brow. "So why now?"

Otoya stretched his head, pushing himself off his bed, and headed to the dresser. He grabbed some black shorts and the first tee-shirt he could find, which turned out to be just a plain white one.

Once dressed he started to wander around aimlessly, not knowing exactly where Syo had gone. They weren't at a port, but still, the ship was huge and searching each room would be a pain.

"Oh, you're up?" Tomochika said, walking out of her room in just her yellow negligee. "I thought you were sleeping in too."

"Good morning Tomo-nee." He nodded his head to her.

"Just Tomo." She scowled.

"Tomo." He repeated like a child learning a new word.

"Are you looking for Syo? I think he went to the cafeteria with Ai." She gave a small laugh. "And I thought he had given up on making friends with Ai after that whole little spat."

The red-haired teen shook his head. "I was just prowling."

"Then how about you prowl around with me, kitty?" She got the brightest smile on her face and grabbed his hand. "Let's go to all the places I haven't been on the ship lately."

"Like?" He blinked at her.

"We have three whole rooms dedicated to my wardrobe." She laughed. "I've been looking for a very special dress for a while. Now you can help me."

When he frowned at her, she widened her eyes in feigned hurt and disbelief. he stammered. "But I-I.."

"You're not doing anything, right?"

"Well... I..."

"Great!" She yanked on his arm, forcing him to follow her even though she hadn't given him much of a chance to answer her. She wasn't really asking anyways. She was going to force him to do what she wanted and there were no two ways about it. "All you have to do is help me look. It won't be hard. I promise."

* * *

_Otoya halted. He could see the long legs of a wolf. They didn't normally come into kit territory. In fact, there were laws against it. That must have been what the sky-flowers were warning the people about._

_'Oh no." He gasped internally. 'What if they already have Cecil?'_

_He stopped, closing his eyes, in a panic. he didn't know what to do. How could he, a mere kit (a baby kit at that), oppose them? And where were the others? Wolves always hunted in packs. He needed to be careful._

_He crouched down in the grass and opened his eyes. It was easy, just like the silly games he always played with his little brother. All he needed to do was sneak around the single wolf, while on the look for the others, find his brother, and get home. No problem. He could totally do that._

_"Found you." he heard the older man's voice sneer at him._

_He didn't want to look up, but he didn't need to. He could see the human shaped shadow looming over him._

_"Kit, change back for me or have you're head removed."_

_He did as commanded. His back to the man, who probably had a knife to him. Otoya shivered. Finding his voice he asked. "Who are you?"_

_"Raging. Raging Otori." The man, Otori, told him. "And you are an Ittoki, correct? How luck for me."_

_"Lucky?"_

_"Tell me where your old man is hiding." He licked his lips_ _hungrily. "And I just might let you live to see another day."_

_"No." Otoya didn't move. He didn't understand what the man wanted with his dad, but he was a wolf. Wolves were always bad._

_"I heard all your litter mates died. You're the only one your dear mother has left. Wouldn't she be sad if her last little kit died?"_

_He wanted to sigh in relief. This man didn't know about Cecil. If he thought that Otoya was the only one left then there was no way... Unless._

_Unless he had already killed Cecil. No, no. That couldn't be it. He had said littermates. Cecil was from the litter after him. In fact, it was hard to even call his birth part of a litter._

_"No," Otoya repeated._

_"Stubborn. I like that." Otori grinned. Otoya wasn't sure how he knew the man was grinning but he did know. "You know I think I'll do something worse than killing you. But you're so small you'll probably never remember."_

* * *

"Otoya! Otoya wake up!" Tomochika whined. She shoved a dress over his face.

He didn't even realize that he had curled up on a pile of dress and fallen asleep. He never knew that frills and such could be so comfy to sleep on. He almost wanted to ask her if he could keep some for himself.

With a yawn and a rub to his ruby eyes, he sleepily looked at her. "Did you find it?"

"I did." She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. Just finding a dress could make her so enthusiastic. It was unreal.

"Let me see."

She held it up in front of her, though it dragged on the ground a bit since she didn't want to get up. Otoya couldn't blame her, sitting on her legs for hours on end looking for the dress had to have made her legs fall asleep.

Otoya's eyes widened as he looked at it. It was a pale yellow. Not quite gold, but not bright like the earth sun. Three layers altering between frill and silk seemed a little excessive, but who was he to judge. Though it looked old and only had one strap, it looked loved. And small? Far to small for Tomochika to wear.

"Is that Mama's?" He asked. seconds after the words left his mouth he realized how stupid it sounded. Haruka didn't wear yellow or such frilly dresses. She made a businesswoman look sloppy.

"It was." She looked at it fondly. "The most beautiful thing you'd ever see, but she won't wear it anymore."

"She used to wear dresses?" He asked faking how shocked he was.

"Yup." She grinned. "And this one was my favorite."

"I want to see her in it."

Tomochika gasped. "We should make her wear it in the observatory. Just the three of us. Like a little ball."

Otoya's eyes shined with excitement. "I've never been to a ball before." He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "I've never actually danced."

"No way!"

"Never."

"That's it. This will definitely happen. I promise. But now I have to find something to wear too. Oh and something for you."

"Really?" Otoya felt happy.

* * *

_"Change back kit." Otori ordered him._

_"I'd rather die." Otoya felt the prickle of the grass under his feet. It wasn't like he had given up on looking for a way out of the situation he had somehow managed to get himself into. He couldn't give up. He still didn't know if Cecil was okay. And what did this man want with his father? He stuck his nose out to smell the lavender again. He wondered if he died, would he miss the smell of the purple flower._

_"Otoya..."_

"Otoya!" Tomochika tossed his a plain black tux. "Jeez, you're such a lazy cat."

He didn't want to change back to retort to her. He wanted to fall back asleep. He wanted to go back to that place. He wanted to make sure that Cecil was still okay. Was he? He couldn't really what happened next. But he had to shift back to his human form anyway.

And when he did, Tomo screamed.

"AHH! Couldn't you have waited?" She shrieked turning away from him with a face redder than her hair.

"Why?"

"It's inappropriate." She cleared her throat. "I'm a woman and you're a boy."

"So?" He blinked.

"I'm also older than you."

"Then you should understand."

She sighed. "I feel like we've had this conversation a million times since that collar came off."

He tilted his head. "Only three times."

"UGH!" She yelled again. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Put that on and come to the observatory. Gosh, I can't even deal with this right now."

Frowning, he shoved his arms into the shirt and legs into the pants. He couldn't understand her normal traditions. She had walked out of her room almost naked and sifted through her wardrobe room like that. that hadn't been a problem, but him changing back was an issue? He couldn't understand her logic.

Syo, who was reading a book he had apparently gotten for the cyan-haired teen, didn't even give him a strange look like Otoya thought he should have. He had just remained calmly on his bed as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Otoya could take it anymore. "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Nope." He flipped the page.

"Why not?"

"I heard from Haruka."

Otoya held in his next question, unsure if he really wanted to know. Was Haruka upset about it? Did she complain a lot? If she didn't want to she could have said no.

"Okay," Otoya said blankly as he left.

For all, he cared it could have just been him and Tomo. But he did really want to see the side of Haruka that no one has seen in years. He wanted to bring that side out again. He wanted that girly, frill wearing, dancing side of her to show just for him. Was that so wrong? Or did she just hate that side of herself so much that she never wanted anyone else to see it ever again?

"Mama?" He called entering the room.

Before his very eyes, she stood. But that wasn't the woman who had saved him. She looked like a delicate flower. So fragile and easily broken. For the first time in his life, she saw Haruka. The Haru she hid away behind the tough exterior and commanding voice. Behind the sharp business suits or just plan pants, and the inch high shoes. Behind the scowl, there was still a smile.

She was standing on the glass, just like always because it was her favorite place in all the galaxies, her back to him. The yellow one strap dress fit her perfectly. She probably hadn't grown since the last time that she had worn it, Otoya highly doubted that she or Tomo as good with a needle. Her red hair reached to her shoulders, so only a small section of her pale back was showing, but still, Otoya thought he spotted something black peeking out from just below where the dress rested. Turning, she looked at him with those sun-like orbs of hers.

"Otoya." She extended her hand with a warm and loving smile. "Tomo told me you've never danced. That's a shame."

Casually making his way down to her, he couldn't stop the words from flowing out of his mouth. "You look so cute. Why don't you ever wear dresses?"

He had expected her to lash out. To yell at him, but she didn't. She laughed. "It's hard to look cute and intimidating at the same time. I need everyone to fear me. Fear is the best way to get what you want."

"But everyone here loves you."

She shook her head at him like he had said something unthinkable. "You can grow to love people. That's all that has happened here."

He took her hand and she placed one on her side and the other on her shoulder for him. He had never realized how much taller he was. If he leaned over he could probably rest his chin on her head. Naturally, if he did there would be hell to pay.

His foot hit her leg first making her chuckle. "You know, I used to be good at this. I wonder what happened to all those hours I was forced to spend practicing."

"I want to know more about your life before this," Otoya said. He was generally curious about what her life had been like. If it had been the other way around he would have answered any of her questions in a heartbeat.

But just like that, the fun and happy atmosphere was gone, vanished like a thief in the night. Haruka pulled away and for the first time, Otoya thought he saw a pained look on her face. She turned away from, back to the stars. Back to her favorite place.

And for a mere moment, Otoya had seen the real Haruka. The woman beneath the facades and cruelty. He had seen the girl who had once wanted nothing more than to leave Asmeon. The delicate, the loving, the real Haruka. And with one simple statement, it was gone. Everything was gone. He wanted to find the words to make it right. Haruka, his savior, he wanted to know so much. More than years of living with her had offered, and he lost his chance.

He stood behind her, dishearten when she cleared her throat. "Good night, Otoya, you can return to your room now."

It had taken all of a few minutes to get back to the room he shared with Syo. He saw the blonde and Tomo wait for him on the bed, giddy with excitement. But he didn't feel like sharing. If Tomochika had kept her word and showed up instead of hanging out with Syo would things have gone differently? Probably not.

"So?" Tomo smiled.

"Did you have fun?" Syo looked on at his friend excited for the stories he thought Otoya had pried from the secretive redhead.

"Uuuuh." Otoya flopped down on the bed and didn't speak for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't very popular or good but I'm still posting it for some reason. Updates will be slow.


End file.
